Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader

Think Like Amazon is a book of ideas based on the author's personal knowledge of how Amazon has followed 14 Leadership Principles ever since he was a key executive there in the difficult years of 2002 through 2005, back when AMZN was selling for under $10 a share. Rossman joined Amazon as the company's first Director of Merchant Integration, in which role he created the third-party platform that now accounts for more than half of physical gross merchandise sales at Amazon.com. In 2002, success was by no means a sure thing. eBay dominated the space, and Amazon had failed twice before to launch its own platform for third-party sellers.Although he worked at Amazon for only three years 14 years ago, Rossman supplements his direct experience with close attention to the annual shareholder letters written by Jeff Bezos, as well as continuing contacts with people still at the company. After leaving Amazon, Rossman created a niche business advisory firm, Rossman Partners. His clients have included the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, Nordstrom, T-Mobile, and Walmart. He is also a frequent speaker on the topics of innovation and corporate culture.The writing in his book is generally crisp and clear, organized in usefully concise chapters, one for each actionable idea. As Rossman suggests, it would be a good resource for a team of innovators to read and discuss together, taking up one of the 50 ideas each week for a year (with two weeks off, maybe to rest!). Some of the content, however, felt like padding to me, such as a lengthy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which the author helped prepare for a startup company named Modjoul.When Rossman was at Amazon, the 14 Leadership Principles had not yet been formalized, but he and his fellow executives "talked about them every day and used them to make decisions."If you've ever wondered "what would Jeff Bezos do" in a business challenge or opportunity you are facing, you might benefit from studying Rossman's list of ideas and then filling in your own second half to the question which he poses as Idea 50 1/2: "How will you build the traits of the truly digital business and culture to ensure Amazon-like results, to become the best digitally enabled business you can be and not become roadkill on the side of the digital disruption highway?"Good question. Good book, too.

Hands down- best business strategy book I've read in many years! In fact, I like this so much I'm reading it a second time- twice in one month.As I was reading the book I started texting everyone I knew in Silicon Valley and telling them to get this book.I even suggested my family members who are senior managers at DotCom companies to get several copies and share this with their team. Easily, I'd buy 10 copies minimum because its that fantastic.While I have limited knowledge about the author, I do have much knowledge on business leadership, visionary leadership and team management. This book nails all three points with great insight.Looking through the handbook with 50 ½ answers I see places were these Amazon secrets were implemented. For me, it resembles treasure book of historical events. I've watched Amazon grow and participated in many of their concepts.I'd recommend this book for managers, visionary leaders, business owners, and business coaches. It crosses into every commerce concept and isn’t limited in scope. These ideas can be implemented by any person with a desire for success- in any business.Game changer! Kudos to the author for attention to detail and the excitement that flows from making things and ideas work.

I'm not a business executive, but if I was the key take-away in Mr. Rossman's book would be the notion of managing dependencies, i.e. when built-in layers of departments impede execution and take precedence over results. For Amazon to tackle and think its way through this conundrum caused by natural corporate growth and processes was a monumental -- along with apparent unlimited access to venture capital -- turning point in its early precarious fortunes.

I bought this book hoping to learn more about how Amazon continues its rapid pace of innovation and value creation while avoiding the classic problems of stagnation and drowning in bureaucracy. John Rossman delivered brilliantly. He provides a wealth of ideas, insights and examples of how Amazon operates from an insider’s perspective. I inserted over 60 sticky notes to bookmark key reference points and jot down ideas that the book sparked.What stood out to me throughout the book is how Amazon has instrumented itself with authentic guiding principles, enduring mechanisms and powerful forcing functions that consistently guide its Day One mentality and customer obsessed culture. It also reinforced the importance of front-loading clarity in thinking, commitment and alignment through the rigorous process of writing narratives, press releases and FAQ’s before a line of code is ever written.I will certainly recommend and share this book with friends and colleagues. It is a great resource to learn from and perhaps spark new ideas in the pursuit of speed, agility and digital leadership!

... very good book, full of excellent strategies and philosophies that would likely be helpful to any company. It seems to me that this book might be especially helpful to senior executives of old-line businesses (banks, insurance companies, etc). Unfortunately, some of my friends tend to read change management books that water-down what true innovators like Amazon are doing to disrupt global markets. This book’s strength is that it describes how Amazon thinks, and what Amazon does to be so successful.With additional editing, the prose might have been tightened-up and some of the author’s slightly distracting stylistic choices might have been eliminated. That being said, the content is excellent and fully accessible. This is one of the more important books I’ve read this year.

A fascinating insight. So many things you know already and would be this way if you were starting from scratch. So much great advice on different topics - which at time can make for uncomfortable reading because you know you or an organisation you know really needs this approach.Small digestible chapters that can be dipped in and out of over time.

The best book I have ever read since years, if not since ever. If you're running a business and have many challenges and you want to take it to the next step... definitely the best book to read.Thank you John for the great book.

a fantastic insight of a company which has grown more than any other one.

Great book full of short sharp thought provoking ideas - well worth the read

On the one hand the frightening power of Amazon and the matter of course how companies, government, and private persons use Amazon services. On the other hand the fascination clearness and consequence how Jeff Bezos is managing the company, giving the impression of cannot lose, eternal growth, and making (or only minor) no mistakes.