BR 279: Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr

Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: Working Backwards attempts to codify interesting aspects of the Amazonian approach to building companies. This is one for the shelf as many of these insights/practices – 6 page memos, PR FAQs, bar raisers, etc., weren’t as new to me. Your mileage may vary. :)

Insights that resonated: 

(1) A key reason written documents work better than PowerPoint is because of the information density.

(2) When interviewing folks for your team, don’t let candidates who you won’t be excited about pass the hiring manager screen. Sending a “Maybe” candidate through isn’t raising the bar.

(3) Jeff Bezos’ appetite for risk combined with the practice of of developing top talent by giving them venture bets and the space to fail is incredible.