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April 14, 2006
The Plot Thickens
Last night I sat down for coffee with the VP and four of the managers in Amazon's "digital media" division. I went in figuring it was just a formality, and came out more intrigued than I expected. They're definitely doing some interesting stuff, though I can't quite shake the uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Amazon's a big company, and my gut's saying "smaller."
The second alarm bell was that Jeff Bezos is apparently known for "Rob G-esque" last minute product interventions. The gents I was talking to did their best to reassure me that it's not usually bad, and that Jeff is usually right, but it's like pouring lemon juice into an open wound. Rob's usually right, too - right isn't good enough when the decision comes at a point in the development cycle that it causes a mad scramble.
Finally, the combination of the specifics of the position and work/life balance sorta concern me. They've staffed up the team quickly, from a handful a year and a half ago to around 140 today - but the folks on the team have an average of 2 or 3 years of experience, and they're looking for someone a b it more senior to guide and mentor.
That sounded suspiciously like "fight entropy" and "herd cats" - which is sorta what I'm doing now, and not loving it. We talked about how someone in that role has a really hard time carving themselves away to actually focus on directly contributing, and they didn't have any great answers, other than to point to examples other places in the company where it's worked.
Posted by dberger at April 14, 2006 8:06 AM