The Two Amazons

Everyone's talking about the NYT expose and asking themselves, and others: how true is this? There are plenty of well written opposing views - from insiders - this this one. Which one is right?

I spent two years at Amazon. Less than many Amazonians, and more than people who never worked there. 

My experience is that both of the above viewpoints are correct and valid. This is not a cop-out.

 I experienced and saw from a distance some behavior similar to that described in the NYT article. But I also worked in environments, experienced situations, and continued to learn from peers in ways that reflect the rebuttal.

Amazon has more than a culture, it is has a system. Like capitalism. Most of us - at least here in the US - believe that capitalism works, even though there are components that we don't all agree on today (see presidential campaigns) and events in the past that most of us are not proud of. Most of us believe it's the best system out there, and despite its rough edges, it's a huge part of what has made our country great, and is also our responsibility to continue to perfect. 

The Amazon system is a lot like capitalism.  It's not perfect, but it's a system that is responsible for delighting a whole lot of customers, hiring and retaining a heap of employees, and creating significant wealth for a whole lot of people.  And it might be the best thing out there, even if its not perfect. It's the responsibility of its inventor and the rest of the company to continue to work to get it right.

With a continued focus on data and an attitude that it's still "Day One" this former employee believes they can get there.