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.

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:.

Amazon working backwards method

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. What is the specific problem this product exists to solve? How does the product solve the problem? Quote from you. Create a fictional spokesperson and ask for a one-liner explaining why this product is a must-have.

Glossary categories. Subscribe to our Newsletter. They engage in intense debate and discussion of the key ideas and the way they are expressed.

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. Its key tenet is to start by defining the customer experience, then iteratively work backwards from that point until the team achieves clarity of thought around what to build. We both witnessed its birth.

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. Product leaders focus on setting a strategic vision.

Amazon working backwards method

Productivity gurus FranklinCovey even trademarked this as one of their seven habits: Begin with the end in mind. Many innovative companies have adopted this working backwards mindset to keep people from being distracted during the development process and maintain a singular focus on the ultimate goal. For example, Amazon starts every project with the product manager authoring a press release articulating the current problem. Throughout the entire product development process, anyone can refer back to that document as a guidepost, ensuring everything they do is making that press release a reality. Working backwards is all about starting with the desired end result in mind and then figuring out how to get there. The key to working backwards is crystalizing where you want to end up. This means diving into the details of what the desired end result should be more sales, happier customers, easier workflows, etc.

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Jeff would say something to the effect of, "We shouldn't be afraid of taking on hard problems if solving them would unlock substantial value. Working backwards, aka the Amazon method, changed the way product organizations run. Generating and evaluating great ideas is the real benefit of the Working Backwards process. One of the biggest issues with the working backwards model is that it can be extremely time-consuming. We both witnessed its birth. According to the working backwards method, product teams should begin development by drafting a press release announcing the final version. The press announcement can serve a similar function as the product roadmap. Once you have defined your solutions, you can take them to stakeholders for approval. With LogRocket, you can understand the scope of the issues affecting your product and prioritize the changes that need to be made. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience. The press release should include descriptions of the problem being solved, an explanation of the solution, and even include fictional customer testimonials. 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. The press release can become a useful guide during development. It can help keep the team on track and aligned around the big ideas and plans for the product.

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.

Share This. Why will this new product be compelling enough for customers to take action and buy it? They invest heavily in the upfront process of discovery , ensuring that the customer problem is intricately known and detailed — including the context around when the problem occurs and the benefit of solving it. Again, this brings the focus back to the customer. People start to use it for everything. The frequently asked questions FAQ should be five pages or less. How to manage HiPPOs in the workplace Workplaces have tried to move away from layers and layers of hierarchy, with managers managing managers in a seemingly never-ending pyramid. When they have finished, the writer asks for general feedback. Most products fail because they begin with a solution and jump immediately to how to bring it to life and when. Read more. Consider four elements:. This results in the product manager writing a draft press release announcing the product they are pitching to create. What this means is that a product manager will put in a lot of time exploring product ideas that never get to market. Some companies practice product development by beginning with a solution, engineering it, then asking their marketing team to find customers for it.