‘Amazon Unbound – Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire’ was recommended to me by a colleague at my office – quite a well-read, knowledgeable individual with a certain flair for describing books, food and movies, that made you immediately want to have/see them!

This was my second book from Brad Stone, after The Upstarts (my review at https://sanchbrary.com/2017/11/12/may-this-inspire-many-upstarts/), so I was super eager. Without much thought, I ordered ‘Amazon Unbound’ while engaged in the conversation with my above-mentioned colleague.

Stone’s portrait of Amazon and its founder, is deep & detailed, offering insights into the mind of Bezos, his ways of working and the building up of Amazon. Amazon has a distinct organizational culture in which many thrived, and many couldn’t. “Amazon Unbound” is particularly valuable in understanding how Amazon makes money, and the everyday decisions that end up impacting consumers, suppliers, and competitors.  

‘Amazon Unbound’ showcases the product manager in Bezos, his high intensity micro-management, and his evolution as a manager, as a person and as an entrepreneur. It offers almost insider views into the Company’s hallowed corporate rituals; the men & women close to Bezos and its dealings with stakeholders – from the Government to suppliers and employees.

It talks about some amazing principles (see my sketch) and gems likes “customer suffering from our organizational structure”, “being unbound by the laws of organizational gravity” and more. It offers great insights into Amazon products from Alexa, Amazon Go to Prime Videos, into Amazon’s warehousing & logistics operations and also into Bezos’ diverse business interests – from Blue Origin to Washington Post.

‘Amazon Unbound’ is a great read for product managers, start-up founders, business strategists, supply chain folks and those in human resources and leadership roles.

Here’s some additional reads:

1. https://pedrodelgallego.github.io/blog/amazon/single-threaded-model/
2. https://studio.ribbonfarm.com/p/gradatim-ferociter