I joined AWS a while back as an engineering manager. I had fantastic opportunities to learn from Amazon’s unique culture and wanted to write something about it. My first attempt is to share some of the Amazon culture from my onboarding.
- Customer Obsession
Every company on earth will say that.
Everyone will say that the customer is central to everything we do.
But Amazon stands out by embedding this leadership principle into everyday work: Want to make a product proposal? Write a PRFAQ, like a press release, describing how customers will use and benefit from this product when it’s released.
In another aspect, I remembered this scenario during my manager onboarding :
What amount can an AWS customer claim back from a $16,700 accidental bill?
a) 50%
b) 65%
c) 80%
d) 100%”
This is a real-life example. Ans: You got the correct answer, didn’t you? It’s d) – 100%!
- Dive Deep
Amazonians circulate this serious joke: “In God we trust; everyone else brings data.” Not that we don’t trust each other, but we value facts as much as beliefs.
One outstanding example is the COE (Correct of Error) review: We list a detailed timeline, the actions we took, and the impact we observed. We ask ourselves five Whys, peeling layers of the onion until we can find the root cause. More often than not, the root cause and the best solution are not trivial, but the effort is worth it.
Here is one example of the importance of asking 5 Whys:
Problem: The Abraham Lincoln monument in Washington, D.C., is deteriorating.
Why #1 – Why is the monument deteriorating?
-
- Because harsh chemicals are frequently used to clean the monument.
Why #2 – Why are harsh chemicals needed?
-
- To clean off the large number of bird droppings on the monument.
Why #3 – Why are there many bird droppings on the monument?
-
- Because the large population of spiders in and around the monument are a food source for the local birds
Why #4 – Why is there a large population of spiders in and around the monument?
-
- Because vast swarms of insects, on which the spiders feed, are drawn to the monument at dusk.
Why #5 – Why are swarms of insects drawn to the monument at dusk?
-
- Because the lighting of the monument in the evening attracts the local insects.
The best solution is to change how the monument is illuminated in the evening to prevent the attraction of swarming insects.
3. Peculiarity
Yes, you read it right. Amazon values peculiarity—doing things differently, sometimes strangely. Amazonians are proud to be different and do things uniquely.
Ever go to large meetings and nod off? Amazonian fixed that with a brilliant, simple idea: use a spin wheel in the meeting to randomly pick one of the audience members to participate. Everyone suddenly stays engaged!
Are you going to a review and unsure what everyone is talking about? Amazonians counter that by spending silent time at the beginning of a meeting to read the materials.
These are indeed peculiar practices. And they work beautifully!
That’s a wrap for now. As I learn more from my journey, I’d love to share more cultural practices.