Working Backwards

Working backwards is Amazon’s product-development mechanism for clarifying a customer problem, proposed benefit, likely trade-offs, success metrics, and test plan before teams commit major build resources.

Key points

• Jassy describes working backwards as a concrete expression of Customer Obsession: the team starts from whether a product would matter to customers ^[src-015].
• The mechanism includes a press-release-style document and a frequently asked questions document before implementation begins ^[src-015].
• The documents test what problem is being solved, what customers will care about most, what they might dislike, and what features will make the experience work ^[src-015].
• Working backwards reduces the risk of building from internal enthusiasm alone; it forces teams to state the customer value before execution energy takes over ^[src-015].
• AWS describes working backwards as a five-question mechanism: listen to the customer, define the problem, invent on their behalf, refine the idea through a PR FAQ, then test and iterate ^[src-017].
• The AWS version emphasises Customer Co-Design where possible: bring real customers or end users into the room so teams can narrow broad problems into concrete personas, pain points, and metrics ^[src-017].
• The method leads into frugal proof-of-concepts, not only documents. Teams should define success metrics early, test desirability/viability/technical feasibility, and scale what works ^[src-017].
• A first release should aim for a Minimal Lovable Product: small enough to test cheaply, but valuable enough that customers want to use it again ^[src-017].
• Carr frames working backwards as a customer-first decision habit: start with what is best for the customer, then work backward to the solution and the work required to create it ^[src-018].
• He also connects PR FAQs to product portfolio discipline: teams should create a funnel of well-thought-out ideas, compare them, and fund only the strongest rather than treating every proposal as a tunnel to shipping ^[src-018].

Related entities

• Amazon — uses working backwards as part of product development
• Andy Jassy — explains the mechanism in the source video
• Amazon Web Services — teaches working backwards externally through Digital Innovation and PACE engagements
• Bill Carr — explains the broader Amazon operating-model context

Related concepts

• Amazon Leadership Principles
• Customer Obsession
• PR FAQ
• Customer Co-Design
• Minimal Lovable Product
• Single-Threaded Leadership
• Input and Output Metrics

Source references

• ^[src-015] Inside Amazon — “The Leadership Principles Explained by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy | Full Length Video” (2024-05-21)
• ^[src-017] AWS Events — “Working Backwards | How to Build Like AWS” (2026-02-24)
• ^[src-018] Lenny’s Podcast — “Unpacking Amazon’s unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards)” (2023-11-02)