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1/ After experiencing docs at AMZN, I can never go back to PPTs.
“How many meetings have you attended where a smooth-talking extrovert gets buy-in for a half-baked plan because he can make it sound good and hide weakness of logic in glossy photos?” https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-02-03/jassy-s-chop-meetings-at-amazon-make-sense
“How many meetings have you attended where a smooth-talking extrovert gets buy-in for a half-baked plan because he can make it sound good and hide weakness of logic in glossy photos?” https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-02-03/jassy-s-chop-meetings-at-amazon-make-sense
2/ If you haven’t seen it, here’s Jeff back in 2004 on why docs are better than PPTs
3/ “If someone builds a list of bullet points in word, that would be just as bad.”
You can be amazing at M&A and yapping on CNBC, but if you write a “1-pager” like this, you’d be on Amazon’s Performance Improvement Plan. Good thing some people don’t need that Amazon job
https://twitter.com/chamath/status/1331278297930428417
You can be amazing at M&A and yapping on CNBC, but if you write a “1-pager” like this, you’d be on Amazon’s Performance Improvement Plan. Good thing some people don’t need that Amazon job
https://twitter.com/chamath/status/1331278297930428417
4/ Eliminate weasel words from all docs should be on every employee’s onboarding docket. https://twitter.com/stratelogical/status/1288684333734285314
5/ Here’s Jeff again in 2017
“We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations at Amazon. Instead, we write narratively structured six-page memos. We silently read one at the beginning of each meeting in a kind of ‘study hall’. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/2017-letter-to-shareholders
“We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations at Amazon. Instead, we write narratively structured six-page memos. We silently read one at the beginning of each meeting in a kind of ‘study hall’. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/2017-letter-to-shareholders
6/ There is a misconception that Amazon does not use PowerPoints at all. That is not true.
What is true is that there are no PPTs for pitching new businesses, for investment thesis, for weekly/monthly business reviews, or leadership reviews. These are all done via narrative docs https://twitter.com/stratelogical/status/1108841085688778757
What is true is that there are no PPTs for pitching new businesses, for investment thesis, for weekly/monthly business reviews, or leadership reviews. These are all done via narrative docs https://twitter.com/stratelogical/status/1108841085688778757
7/ Here is Jeff himself using a PowerPoint deck in the mid 2000s. Looking at how bad they are, now you know why he banned PPTs 
h/t @Post_Market for video
h/t @Post_Market for video
8/ Amazon’s doc writing (PRFAQ, 6-pager, 1-pager, COE) is peculiar but works!
PPT is still best way to introduce new products or large audience external presentations
But docs are the best way to analyze new & existing businesses. Once you experience it, there is no going back!
PPT is still best way to introduce new products or large audience external presentations
But docs are the best way to analyze new & existing businesses. Once you experience it, there is no going back!
9/ There are unfortunately no public examples of these docs, but here are some links that go into the styles and structures:
PRFAQ for new business ideas - https://www.quora.com/What-is-Amazons-approach-to-product-development-and-product-management
PRFAQ for new business ideas - https://www.quora.com/What-is-Amazons-approach-to-product-development-and-product-management
10/ six pagers particularly around operating plans (OP1, & OP2). https://writingcooperative.com/the-anatomy-of-an-amazon-6-pager-fc79f31a41c9
11/ General guidelines - https://blog.usejournal.com/writing-docs-at-amazon-e025808616bd?gi=1bf7b43001b
