GeekWire

Resetting Amazon: A new blueprint for the tech giant


Listen Later

Amazon is resetting its business. Is it doing enough to change its mindset?

In an analysis published this week, advisor, speaker, author, and former Amazon executive John Rossman presents a blueprint for turning the company around — advocating a "zero-based mindset" in which every initiative needs to be justified from scratch, and a "brutal rationalization of capital expenses," among other steps.

"I honestly think that Jeff's biggest concern about Amazon was always that it would become a bureaucracy," says Rossman, referring to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. "This is the opportunity to change the forward-looking narrative on Amazon: are they going to go into the slow bureaucratic mindset, or are they going to return to their roots as a scrappy, small-team oriented, highly accountable organization?"

Rossman joins GeekWire's Todd Bishop on this episode to discuss Amazon's path forward. 

Rossman is the founder of Rossman Partners, a management consulting team, he worked previously at turnaround consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal. During his tenure at Amazon, from 2002-2005, helped to launch and build Amazon Marketplace before leading the company’s Enterprise Services business.

He has authored three books, including The Amazon Way, and he writes the weekly Digital Leader Newsletter, found at Substack.

RELATED: Is it ‘Day 2’ at Amazon? A former executive’s turnaround plan for the tech giant

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

GeekWireBy GeekWire

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

115 ratings


More shows like GeekWire

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,283 Listeners

a16z Podcast by Andreessen Horowitz

a16z Podcast

1,034 Listeners

Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,144 Listeners

Equity by TechCrunch, Mary Ann Azevedo, Kell, Theresa Loconsolo, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Devin Coldewey, Margaux MacColl

Equity

338 Listeners

Bold Names by The Wall Street Journal

Bold Names

1,438 Listeners

Techmeme Ride Home by Brian McCullough

Techmeme Ride Home

941 Listeners

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

5,397 Listeners

Hard Fork by The New York Times

Hard Fork

5,448 Listeners

WorkLab by Microsoft

WorkLab

61 Listeners

ACQ2 by Acquired by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal

ACQ2 by Acquired

212 Listeners

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson by Andrew Sharp and Ben Thompson

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson

94 Listeners

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups by Conviction

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

121 Listeners

Possible by Reid Hoffman

Possible

91 Listeners

The AI Daily Brief (Formerly The AI Breakdown): Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis by Nathaniel Whittemore

The AI Daily Brief (Formerly The AI Breakdown): Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

485 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

461 Listeners