Amazon working backwards method

One of the most successful product organizations over the past 20 years is Amazon. As ofthe US census shows there are

Its unique take on product development suggests that teams start at the end, by drafting an internal-only press release announcing the final product. The working backwards methodology actually has rather humble origins. The Amazon method was actually first described publicly as a response to a question on Quora. In his incredibly detailed and revealing response, McAllister described the precise methodology the Amazon product team uses to guide their decision-making and development planning. That said, the product team should still be clear about who the press release is aimed at retail customers, internal users, and so on. What is the core benefit of the product in a single line? As the name suggests, simply summarize what the product does along with its main benefit.

Amazon working backwards method

The Amazon working backward method is a product development approach that starts with the team imagining the product is ready to ship. A product team can draft this mock press announcement in any way it chooses. But according to a former Amazon director—Ian McAllister, now the head of product at Airbnb—your announcement should have at least the following details:. Note: McAllister says that a product team needs to spend a lot of time revising and cutting down the verbiage of this product press release. Drafting a press release is a lot easier and requires far fewer resources than building a minimum viable product or even creating and sending out a series of customer surveys. If they find themselves uninspired by the draft, that is a good indicator the product idea lacks something or that the team has not fully thought through the problems or the solution. If the team decides an idea is worth pursuing after this exercise, then they can use the press release as a strategic guide as they move into development. The press announcement can serve a similar function as the product roadmap. It can help keep the team on track and aligned around the big ideas and plans for the product. Try now Sign in.

Working backwards ensures that you and your team have a clear alignment between intentions and a meaningful problem to solve. How does the Amazon Working backwards method work? Sam Schulte, Vice President, Product Engineering at Inspirato, talks about the delicate balance between innovation and scale.

Amazon culture has many unique ways of operating that help the company move fast and innovate while keeping the customer at the center of everything we do. So when two former Amazon employees, Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, wrote a book about Amazon's culture, we couldn't wait to share their perspective on how we do what we do best. Most of Amazon's major products and initiatives since have one very Amazonian thing in common—they were created through a process called Working Backwards. It is so central to the company's success that we used it as the title for our book. Working Backwards is a systematic way to vet ideas and create new products.

One of the most successful product organizations over the past 20 years is Amazon. As of , the US census shows there are Working backwards is known interchangeably as the Amazon method. But their idea to work backwards had to start somewhere, right? It results in several benefits:. So how does one work backwards and begin with the end in mind? Stephen Covey presents a few ideas:. The delta between being a product manager and a product leader is this orientation. Product managers focus on efficiency.

Amazon working backwards method

The Amazon Working Backwards Method is a product development methodology that advocates building a product based on customer needs. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos later admitted that while the method was resource intensive, it saved a lot of work later in the product development process. This entails drafting an imaginary press release. Amazon allows the product team to draft the press release in any way they see fit. However, McAllister noted that it should occupy a page and a half or less and be broken down into short paragraphs of three to four sentences. Containing the product name in a form that will resonate with the customer. Or a brief product summary focusing on the benefits the product will deliver to the customer. Product teams should assume that the reader will focus most of their attention here, so the summary must be high quality.

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The frequently asked questions FAQ should be five pages or less. Some companies practice product development by beginning with a solution, engineering it, then asking their marketing team to find customers for it. So how does one work backwards and begin with the end in mind? The single most important benefit of the working backwards method is that it effectively forces a product team to look at the product through a customer lens. Get your teams on the same page — try LogRocket today. Featured image source: IconScout. Typically, these documents are limited to one to one-and-a-half pages and are silently read at the beginning of meetings. People ask hard questions. Learn more. The Amazon method was actually first described publicly as a response to a question on Quora. The delta between being a product manager and a product leader is this orientation.

Its unique take on product development suggests that teams start at the end, by drafting an internal-only press release announcing the final product.

People who write press releases for a living, or indeed anyone who has been professionally edited, knows the importance of boiling things down as much as possible, but the people in product development don't always understand this. The virtue of this approach, at least from the perspective of the writer, is that it shows all their work and allows them to avoid hard decisions about what's important and what's not—leaving those for the group. Some companies practice product development by beginning with a solution, engineering it, then asking their marketing team to find customers for it. How to get started. In his incredibly detailed and revealing response, McAllister described the precise methodology the Amazon product team uses to guide their decision-making and development planning. A well-written mission statement gives everyone the framework and the ability to autonomously make decisions aimed in the same direction. In a response to a question on the website Quora, Ian explained how Amazon product teams work backwards to keep the focus on customer wants and needs. But this is not a drawback. Closing and call to action. Read the excerpt: Working Backwards Most of Amazon's major products and initiatives since have one very Amazonian thing in common—they were created through a process called Working Backwards. The single most important benefit of the working backwards method is that it effectively forces a product team to look at the product through a customer lens.