Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon

by Colin Bryar

Dive Deep. Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdotes differ. No task is beneath them.

Amazon relies heavily on autonomous, single-threaded teams (more in chapter three). These teams keep the company nimble, moving quickly with a minimum of external friction, but their autonomy must be paired with precise goal-setting to align each team’s independent plans with the company’s overarching goals.