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I’m always shocked when I remember Amazon got started way back in 1994. For more than a quarter century, this company was run by itsthe same founder, Jeff Bezos, who built it into America’s second-largest employer.
He pursued a dizzying array of products, services, businesses, moonshots, and side projects. Then, in the midst of a global pandemic, he stepped aside and Andy Jassy took over as CEO.
Jassy was suddenly responsible for more than 1.5 million employees located all over the globe while COVID-19 spread. And he was taking the reins from a boss who’d stamped his unique approach on almost everything at Amazon. Daunting stuff.
It’s been over four years since then, and Jassy has finally made Amazon his own. That’s according to an exclusive inside look at how this new CEO is changing the world’s largest e-commerce and cloud company. Superstar reporter Eugene Kim spent many weeks on this project. If you’re an Amazon employee, or you’re thinking of working there, this is a must-read. Here are some highlights, but go read the whole thing:
Costs Before Culture: When Jassy stepped into the top job in 2021, Amazon was ballooning from pandemic-era growth while suffering massive losses. The new CEO couldn’t tackle cultural challenges until he first stabilized Amazon’s cost structure. That meant big layoffs, project cuts, and tightening the belt at every level.
“Arena” Leadership: Some leaders aren’t mincing words. One high-level email obtained by Kim bluntly told managers to “step into the arena” and meet higher standards or leave. It’s a tone that underscores a harder-edged, performance-first culture.
From Spreading Bets to Big Bets: Jassy is rethinking how Amazon innovates. Unlike Bezos, who encouraged wide bets across hundreds of projects, Jassy is concentrating resources on a smaller number of “big bets” with clearer paths to profitability.
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The Petty Edge of Frugality: The company’s legendary frugality now extends to the fine print. Some employees must track how much of a $50 phone allowance is actually work-related, with reimbursements adjusted accordingly.
Owners, not employees: Jassy wants staff to think like owners. Would they spend their own money on this project, or that work trip? He sees Amazon as “the world’s biggest startup,” with a sharper, leaner culture. That’s testing how far today’s workforce is willing to go along for the ride.
Sign up for BI’s Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.
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