#pm_library: “Working Backwards”
This time on the shelf to my #pm_library, I add “Working Backwards” by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr. Thanks to these gentlemen, we can look at Amazon’s work behind the scenes.
The first chapters are about the leadership principles and the recruitment process, not the products themselves. PMs might be disappointed, but it is worth getting acquainted with these concepts because, as Colin Bryar and Bill Carr stated, those are a significant component of Amazon’s success.
The following chapters are strictly about working on products. Two techniques that intrigued me most are PR FAQs and 6-page narratives.
At Amazon, product development starts… from the end, that is, with a press release document. The PR FAQ describes the new feature/product, its values, and answers the possibly most frequently asked questions. Once it is finished and refined, the product team kick-off their work.
Paradoxically, starting work with traditional product requirements, it is easy to lose the final value that we want to provide to the user. Often, then, we focus on our technological limitations, and short-term revenue goals. We may also close ourselves in our visions, or we will start racing against the competitors. As a result, the final product is far from the customers’ expectations.
Having a precise vision in a PR FAQ makes it easier to stay on the correct course. Focus on what matters. Also, I imagine that we can quickly get detailed feedback from users.
The second exciting technique is “The 6-page narratives”, which alludes to a different leader characteristic: “Dive deep.” What is it all about?
For key meetings concerning, e.g., kick-off, presentation of a new initiative, and quarter planning, the meeting leader prepares a standardized document of up to 6 pages instead of preparing a stunning presentation. She outlines the background of the situation and presents the idea. At the beginning of the meeting, everyone has a few minutes to read the document in silence.
What advantage do the authors think such an approach has to the PowerPoint presentation? The first thing is not to be fooled by the presenting spell. Good research and data should be decisive for good thinking. With such a standardized document, it is easier to be objective.
Moreover, with the 6-page narrative, a discussion during the meeting is more substantive as it is possible to return and refer to data.
Chapters devoted to case studies are also a great advantage of the book. Authors revealed the backstage of working on flagship products: AWS, Kindle, Prime, and Prime Video.
While writing this post, I was surprised by how much I got from this book. I don’t know if I’d like to work for Amazon, but you can learn a lot from them. Of course, what works there, might not work in your organization, but IMO they make sense. I’ll try to apply some of them to my work.
