This presentation describes Amazon's customer-centric and data-centric approach to building products. It provides real life examples of the working backwards approach.

1. @kintan brahmbhatt

2. what will we talk about?

3. approach of building products
1. start with the customer and work backwards
2. role of the product manager
learn build

4. amazon’s approach to build products
1. start with the customer and work backwards
2. listening posts

5. amazon’s approach to build products
1. start with the customer and work backwards
2. listening posts

6. amazon’s approach to build products
1. start with the customer and work backwards
2. listening posts

7. 1. start with the customer and work backwards

8. good intentions
vs

9. good intentions
vs

10. “Good intentions do not work,
good mechanisms do.”
-Jeff Bezos

11. working backwards: a mechanism

12. AutoRip : buy a CD, get MP3 for free

13. (mock) press release
customer-centric narrative
include a customer quote
six pages or under (with faq)

14. (mock) press release

16. press release

18. frequently asked questions
consider all stakeholders
add more throughout the lifecycle
why, how, when, who and more

19. customer faq
explain your idea to a friend who is not familiar with
the product. what questions will she ask?how do I get started with AutoRip?is it free?does it work for old purchases?what happens if I return the CD?does it work outside the US?

20. press release

21. explain your idea to peers at work who are familiar
with your business. what questions do they have?
internal stakeholder faq
do we need to get new licenses?what changes do we need to make to our existing product?when do we need to launch it?how much will it cost to the business?why now?

22. visuals
low fidelity mocks
data flow diagrams
Invision, Pixate and other tools

23. visuals

24. why write a narrative?
writing enforces
clarity of
thought

25. seek and give candid feedback
respectfully challenge
speak up if it is not benefiting the customer

26. 2. role of the product manager

28. The job of a product manager is to talk,
but she gets paid to listen.

29. listening posts
1.customer feedback
2.usage metrics
3.usability research
4.competitive benchmarking
5.macro trends
(military) a post or position, established for
the purpose of listening to detect the
enemy's movements.
any source of data to inform a product
decision

30. know when to use which tool
learn build

32. “Start with the customers
and work backwards.”
-Jeff Bezos
Join the Amazon product team in San Francisco
amazon.jobs