After spending over 7.5 years at Amazon, I made the decision to explore new career opportunities. When I first joined Amazon in Vancouver, the office was relatively small, hosting fewer than 200 employees. By the time I left, the company had expanded significantly, with thousands of employees spread across multiple buildings. Notably, over 97% of my colleagues had been hired after my start date, indicating parallel growth for both myself and Amazon.

TL;DR

I started at Amazon during a challenging period, following a controversial New York Times article in 2015 that prompted internal changes aimed at improving workplace culture. I advanced from a junior engineer to a senior role, and while I made many mistakes along the way, I learned valuable lessons. My feelings toward the company were polarized; I either loved or hated it. Here are some aspects I appreciated about Amazon, as well as areas I believe could use improvement.

What I Appreciated About Amazon

There are several reasons I found joy in working at Amazon, a company rich in opportunities for career and personal development.

Complete Ownership

One of the aspects I valued most was the ownership of projects. You are not merely given tasks to complete; instead, you are expected to take charge from inception to execution. Often, you'll start with a broad outline of the project, requiring you to engage with various stakeholders to clarify objectives. This process involves drafting designs, seeking feedback, and iterating until you reach a consensus before moving on to implementation and testing. Your involvement doesn't end there; you're also expected to monitor the project's success after launch.

Even as an engineer, you're encouraged to assess whether a project is viable and make adjustments to ensure successful outcomes.

Commitment to Engineering Excellence

At AWS, services operate on a pay-as-you-go model, meaning customers are only charged when the services are functioning properly. This creates a strong incentive for engineering excellence, as any service failure directly impacts revenue. Consequently, maintaining high standards is crucial for any feature rollout.

As an engineer, this means prioritizing code coverage, reliable testing, and effective monitoring tools, including metrics and alerts, to minimize potential issues.

Abundant Learning Resources

Amazon provides a wealth of internal resources to help employees quickly ramp up and resolve various challenges. This includes a platform akin to YouTube for educational content, a forum similar to Stack Overflow for peer assistance, and efficient search capabilities for wikis, emails, and code.

Your Technical Voice Matters

In engineering discussions, the weight of your input is based on merit rather than seniority. During my "customer obsession" training for new hires, I encouraged questioning decisions that lacked clear reasoning. I've witnessed junior engineers challenge senior colleagues, leading to meaningful discussions. It's essential that all engineers remain open to dialogue, regardless of their rank.

Areas for Improvement

Despite its strengths, I believe Amazon has room for improvement, particularly in fostering a more efficient and satisfied workforce.

Navigating Promotions

Promotion processes often feel like a game, common in many large organizations. At Amazon, it’s essential to have stories that align with the leadership principles and support from senior colleagues. As you ascend the ranks, promotion becomes increasingly challenging. If your manager is inexperienced or if your team's projects lack impact, moving up can be difficult.

Success hinges not just on your performance but on finding the right team and projects. If you lack experiences that demonstrate leadership principles, you must proactively seek opportunities to fill those gaps.

Customer Focus Over Employee Welfare

In many product decisions, customer needs take precedence over employee considerations. Although prioritizing customer satisfaction is crucial, it often places undue pressure on employees. On-call responsibilities can be particularly taxing, with little recognition for the sacrifices made. I’ve seen talented individuals leave due to the stress associated with on-call duties.

When I inquired about potential benefits for on-call work, a VP responded that doing well would lead to stock price increases, which felt unjustified given the fluctuating market.

Leadership Principles Can Be Contradictory

While many companies adhere to a limited set of values, Amazon’s leadership principles continue to expand. When I joined, there were 12 principles; now, there are 16. These principles shape daily interactions, often creating a culture of scrutiny. In annual reviews, employees are expected to identify areas for improvement based on these principles, which can be contradictory in nature.

For instance, delivering a project under tight deadlines may earn praise for "bias for action," while the same delivery might also draw criticism for not adhering to "highest standards."

Pushing Limits, Not Quality

Upon joining Amazon, I was thrust into a fast-paced environment, expected to quickly adapt and deliver results. This rapid escalation can lead to diminished work quality as new hires struggle to keep pace. The phrase "drink water from the hose" perfectly encapsulates the overwhelming learning curve.

To ensure that employees meet expectations, managers regularly submit names of underperformers to HR, often leading to stressful performance improvement plans for those individuals. I've seen many new hires face immense stress early in their tenure.

While mentorship programs aim to support struggling employees, they can also be a source of pressure. I recall a colleague overwhelmed by expectations, leading him to seek assistance for tasks that were not aligned with his strengths.

On-Call Responsibilities Can Be Overwhelming

The demands of on-call work can severely disrupt personal life, especially if you are part of a team that faces frequent operational challenges. Choosing the right team is vital for professional growth; a supportive and efficient team can significantly enhance your experience.

Final Thoughts

It's challenging to generalize about a vast organization like Amazon, as experiences can vary widely based on factors like management, team dynamics, and project assignments.

In summary, Amazon is an exceptional engineering firm with numerous impactful and challenging projects that enable rapid learning. However, this comes at a cost, potentially affecting personal health and relationships if not managed effectively.