I really wanted to finish this book and write the review before it was published, so I was trying to rush through it, but the thing is... it was too good to rush through! I had to slow down and take it all in. Trust me when I tell you this book is excellent.

No one can dispute that Amazon is a hugely successful company. It is known. Colin and Bill help explain what it is to be "Amazonian" by working "backwards". You don't even have to work in tech to use some of the strategies and techniques they describe. I work in marketing for a yeast manufacturer and several of these ideas would really help us innovate more, in less time, while making our customers happier.

Using a 6-page project brief in place of a tired PowerPoint presentation to present your ideas. Writing the press release *before* you start to design your next product. Changing your hiring strategy to slow down and really get the right people for your company and culture, even in the face or urgency. Moving to single-threaded leader-run autonomous teams. So many of these - seemingly backward - ideas are what led to the now-unstoppable success of Amazon, and many of them are relevant in almost any industry.

As a business strategy book, it was actually very interesting; not dry at all. Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Amazon, and a customer of many of their services. I am also fairly critical of corporate fairy tales. This book was well written, showing flaws as well as successes, and was realistic and succinct. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Working Backwards
Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon
by Colin Bryar; Bill Carr
St. Martin's Press
You Like Them
Business & Investing | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 09 Feb 2021 | Archive Date 23 Feb 2021

I loved this business book! Who can't learn something from one of the biggest companies in the world. For the serious learner be prepared to take notes. There's a lot of good stuff in here. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC. I will recommend this book.

5 star

This book provides an in-depth look at areas of Amazon that fascinate so many of us—their lack of PowerPoint presentations, how they structure their teams for growth and innovation, and how they hire. Written by two former Amazon executives, they include bonus chapters on how some of Amazon's greatest innovations came to be—including the Kindle and AWS. A must-read for anyone fascinated by this high-performing, unique and innovative company.

What a wonderful business book. Unlike many books that claim to be for business, this one hits the mark. It is not just a fluffy story about how great everyone was on the team and how they all made the best decision, every time. Colin and Bill give you real life processes and options for making decision, building teams and how the teams can be run. If you are like me, you will end up taking notes as you read this book. If you want or need assistance with growing your business or career, read this book.