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Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon Hardcover – February 9, 2021
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Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time Amazon executives―with lessons and techniques you can apply to your own company, and career, right now.
In Working Backwards, two long-serving Amazon executives reveal the principles and practices that have driven the success of one of the most extraordinary companies the world has ever known. With twenty-seven years of Amazon experience between them―much of it during the period of unmatched innovation that created products and services including Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon Studios, and Amazon Web Services―Bryar and Carr offer unprecedented access to the Amazon way as it was developed and proven to be repeatable, scalable, and adaptable.
With keen analysis and practical steps for applying it at your own company―no matter the size―the authors illuminate how Amazon’s fourteen leadership principles inform decision-making at all levels of the company. With a focus on customer obsession, long-term thinking, eagerness to invent, and operational excellence, Amazon’s ground-level practices ensure these characteristics are translated into action and flow through all aspects of the business.
Working Backwards is both a practical guidebook and the story of how the company grew to become so successful. It is filled with the authors’ in-the-room recollections of what “Being Amazonian” is like and how their time at the company affected their personal and professional lives. They demonstrate that success on Amazon’s scale is not achieved by the genius of any single leader, but rather through commitment to and execution of a set of well-defined, rigorously-executed principles and practices―shared here for the very first time.
Whatever your talent, career or organization might be, find out how you can put Working Backwards to work for you.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Press
- Publication dateFebruary 9, 2021
- Dimensions6.38 x 1.15 x 9.59 inches
- ISBN-101250267595
- ISBN-13978-1250267597
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Rather than offering a dull catalog of the company’s 14 leadership principles and three implementation mechanisms, Mr. Bryar and Mr. Carr provide concrete and accessible examples of how these are put into practice across a range of functions, from hiring and communications to organizational and product design." --New York Times
“[Working Backwards] should be read by anyone interested in the real thing―the principles, processes and practices of 21st century management and leadership.” --Steve Denning, Forbes
"This book reads like a how-to guide, which perhaps is by design ― Bryar and Carr both were long-time Amazonians and their vantage point is that of an enthusiast rather than a critic. To be sure, Amazon offers much to admire….It’s a safe bet Amazon’s core principles and practices will remain essentially intact, not because Bezos will be watching from the executive suite but because Bryar, Carr and legions of current managers at the company believe in the Amazon way.” --Associated Press
“Bryar and Carr, both former Amazon executives, take a detailed informative firsthand look at the company’s ‘unique principles and processes.’ … they deliver an information-packed guide to Amazon’s success. Readers are sure to extract lessons applicable to organizations large and small.” --Publishers Weekly
"Jeff Bezos once told me that unlike Google or Apple, 'Amazon doesn't have one big advantage, so we have to braid a rope out of many small advantages.' Amazon has demonstrated again and again that success doesn't result from one big stroke of genius but from a set of clear business practices consistently and boldly applied. Colin Bryar and Bill Carr dive deep into how Amazon has become the company to study if you want to succeed in 21st-century business." --Tim O'Reilly, owner of O'Reilly Media
"For those looking to change the world in ways (very) large and small via innovation and business, my strong recommendation is to dive deeply into Working Backwards. Bill and Colin have delivered a rarity of immense value, which is a powerful, high judgment dissection of the inputs to Amazon itself. I anticipate Working Backwards to quickly become required reading in board rooms and classrooms around the world." --Jason Kilar, Chief Executive Officer of WarnerMedia
“Colin Bryar and Bill Carr have operationalized the core management practices that lie behind Amazon's success. In particular, their insights into how any successful leader can focus on narrative and metrics to take a short-cut to the truth are essential for any leader in any industry. You'll want to have your highlighter ready and keep this book close at hand for quick reference." --Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor
“Colin and Bill give us an insider’s view of Amazon during what was an extraordinary period of growth for the organization. Having partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) during my time at Red Hat and now at IBM, I can attest to their unrelenting commitment to customers. Leaders who want to foster customer obsession and drive operational excellence within their organizations should read this book.” --Jim Whitehurst, President, IBM
“Working Backwards serves as a blueprint enabling leaders to implement guiding principles, operating rhythms and durable mechanisms that allow teams to scale effectively, even as your business expands at an accelerated clip. A must read for every entrepreneur or business leader focused on driving growth.”
--Mariana Garavaglia, Chief People & Business Operations Officer, Peloton
“Colin and Bill have captured the essence of what it means at Amazon to start with the customer and work backwards. They both held important leadership roles at critical moments in the company’s history that they’ve translated into interesting stories and lessons for readers. I even plan to use it as a reference myself.” --Jeff Wilke, CEO, Worldwide Consumer, Amazon
“Colin and Bill very precisely captured the unique corporate culture of Amazon and described many of the essential parts of Amazon’s approach to innovation. They offer a unique, insiders’ view of the company with many valuable lessons for large companies that want to reinvent their business models as well as for startups that want to scale rapidly. This is the definitive innovation playbook.” --Serguei Netessine, Vice Dean and Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The Wharton School
About the Author
Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive In Residence with Maveron, LLC, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. Bill later served as the Chief Operating Officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today Bill is co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon.
Product details
- Publisher : St. Martin's Press (February 9, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1250267595
- ISBN-13 : 978-1250267597
- Item Weight : 1 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.38 x 1.15 x 9.59 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #16,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #55 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
- #244 in Business Management (Books)
- #347 in Leadership & Motivation
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors

Colin Bryar joined Amazon in 1998 -- four years after its founding -- and spent the next 12 years as part of Amazon's senior leadership team as Amazon grew from a domestic (US-only) seller of books to a global, multi-dimensional powerhouse and innovator. Colin served as a Vice President at Amazon, and for two of his years he was "Chief of Staff" to Jeff Bezos, AKA "Jeff's shadow", during which he spent each day attending meetings, traveling with, and discussing business and life with Jeff. After Amazon, he and his family relocated to Singapore for two years where Colin served as Chief Operating Officer of e-commerce company RedMart, which was subsequently sold to Alibaba. Colin is co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. Colin holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Operations Research from Cornell University.

Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive In Residence with Maveron, LLC, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. Bill later served as the Chief Operating Officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today Bill is co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. Bill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College and a Masters in Business Administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviewed in the United States on November 7, 2022
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But this book is different from most books about what to copy from great companies. It tells you about the background of Amazon’s best practices. You’ll learn why Amazon adopted them and follow the sometimes-tedious process of development. You’ll discover why some lauded practices (e.g., two-pizza teams) have been superseded.
Working Backwards does not turn Jeff Bezos into an all-wise, infallible business saint either. That’s important because it allows you to appreciate the role teams can play in developing processes. It’s also evidence that you don’t need a Jeff Bezos to succeed.
Colin Bryar joined Amazon in 1998 and spent twelve years there. Most relevant for this book, for two years he was Jeff Bezos’ chief of staff. Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than fifteen years there. He and his teams launched and managed the company’s global digital music and video businesses. The result is a true “view from inside.”
The book is divided into two parts. The first, “Being Amazonian,” is about foundational principles and practices and Amazon culture. Jeff Bezos described the culture this way.
“Our culture is four things: customer obsession instead of competitor obsession; willingness to think long term, with a longer investment horizon than most of our peers; eagerness to invent, which of course goes hand in hand with failure; and then, finally, taking professional pride in operational excellence.”
That’s basic, but not operational. This section also goes into detail on Amazon’s 14 Leadership Principles and several operating practices. This will be the most helpful part of the book for most readers. You’ll get ideas on how to hire more effectively, why some team practices work and others don’t, and why Amazon relies on the written word to develop and communicate ideas.
You’ll discover why Amazon uses leading indicators to manage performance. There’s a chapter on the principle of “working backwards” that is so important, that the authors chose it for the title of the book. They describe it this way.
“Working Backwards is a systematic way to vet ideas and create new products. Its key tenet is to start by defining the customer experience, then iteratively work backwards from that point until the team achieves clarity of thought around what to build.”
Working backwards is one of those “simple but not easy” ideas. The good news is the authors go into detail on the process and tools Amazon uses to make it happen. They’re adaptable to most businesses regardless of size or industry.
The chapter on leadership principles and mechanisms plus any other chapter in the first section are worth the price of the book several times over.
Part 2 is “The Invention Machine at Work.” Chapters describe the development of Kindle, Prime, Prime Video, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Each chapter is an example of how the principles and practices outlined in Part 1 guided product development in a real situation.
Praise to whoever is responsible for two devices that make this book more helpful. One is detailed appendices with examples that you can use as models, as well as a timeline to show you what was happening and when. The other is the practice of beginning each chapter with a short overview of what you’ll find in it.
In a Nutshell
Any business reader will benefit from reading Working Backwards, applying the principles, and adapting the practices Amazon uses so successfully.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 7, 2022
This is just as much for small business people as it is for corporations. Even though you won't implement the highly structured procedures and practices that in the book, you will find that there are aspects of your business that can be improved -- and some of them, quite easily.
There is so much in the book that I found interesting, including the fact that AWS started out as nothing more than an API. That was a shocker to read knowing where AWS is now.
And because Amazon stretches across so many disciplines, it makes you realize that Bezos understood the need to hire the RIGHT people in every part of business; and to make sure those people were in it for the long-term.
If you run a business, the explanations of the Amazon way will make you think about ways to improve everything you do. Excellent book - thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Top reviews from other countries
The book is an endless veneration of Amazon. Amazon, its employees, and especially Bezos are worshipped. Mistakes Amazon made are only mentioned to show how Amazon used them to improve their process. There's no mention of issues that Amazon had and continues to have problems with, such as user interfaces, as anyone who has tried to navigate the categories on the website or used the AWS console can testify.
The authors don't consider the harm that Amazon might be doing. They approvingly recount how an employee was forced to turn her car around and cancel her weekend based on a snap decision of a higher-up, with no consideration of the damage this might have done to her health or family life.
Supposedly Amazon is hugely customer-obsessed and strives desperately to "delight" their customers. This is hard to square with my experience of trying to get Alexa to respect my settings or Amazon Fire stick to stop autoplaying or showing me ads. The picture the book paints seems quite different to reality.
Working Backwards is, however, different in that the authors are two 'Amazonians' of relatively significant tenure describing relevant business practices that can be implemented to improve efficiency, increasing the chance of sustainable business growth.
A large part of what is presented can be argued as common sense. However, where Amazon has been different (and owes it's success to) is its ability to break from the comfort of convention when things arent working.
For example, meetings taking too long due to hundreds of slides being read verbatim? Rather than say "we should do something different next time", and (fast forward 6 months) nothing being done, Amazon just banned PowerPoint outright.
Due to corporate worry of failure (despite the ability to learn from it), few businesses will (and should) copy all of Amazon's approaches blindly. After all, if you copy someone, you're already five steps behind.
However, that should not stop you from picking up a copy and trying something new.
For non Amazonians, it's incredibly useful if you can get past the "Amazonian" thing. Adopting these practices will be valuable for any company, but I suspect many will resist as being "good for Amazon but not for us". I hope more can see beyond this superficial resistance.
The book made me laugh though, the author travelled 2.5 miles every night to support the business in the holiday period. Like a 5 minute car journey is a notable chore.















