Ethan Evans, former Amazon VP. Got fired twice from startups for being abrasive, then led 800+ engineers at Prime Video, Appstore, Prime Gaming.
## tldr
- •being "right" isn't enough - relationships and politics matter just as much (or more)
- •be "strategically annoying" - pushy but not abrasive, build allies instead of arguing
- •high-growth environments help your career ride an "escalator" upward
- •PIPs are usually doomed - once a manager decides to exit you, bias kicks in. job-hunt immediately
- •managers hold huge power in framing the same facts positively or negatively
## career arc
- •fired twice early (from startups) due to being confrontational despite strong technical skills
- •realized he was the common factor, dramatically improved soft skills
- •joined Amazon 2005 to work on streaming → Prime Video
- •rose senior manager → director → VP, eventually leading 800+ engineers
- •businesses: Amazon Appstore, Prime Gaming, Twitch integration
## promotions at amazon
- •director: took high-risk project that succeeded + politely pushed ("my career is important to me -if not to Amazon, I need to consider options")
- •VP: took years of alignment - "magic loop" with manager (I'll deliver what you need; you ensure I'm rewarded), lining up stakeholders, timing
- •advice: be politely pushy. quiet high-performers get overlooked when slots are limited
## bezos vs jassy
- •~50 meetings with each
- •bezos (founder): inspiring, supportive, willing to take big gambles ("I might want to spend it all")
- •jassy (classic CEO): probing, held people accountable, less emotionally supportive - more "you're on the hook"
## performance management (brutal honesty)
- •stack ranking / "unregretted attrition" (4-7% forced exits yearly) exists in practice
- •managers can effectively fire almost anyone - preemptive storytelling to HR wins over employee's defense
- •HR doesn't protect employees - stacked toward managers
- •PIPs are usually doomed: once manager decides to exit you, bias kicks in. rarely recoverable
- •same facts can be framed as "upleveling team" or "nitpicking and low output"
## regrets & advice
- •didn't take enough risks earlier
- •wishes he'd built networks/visibility sooner
- •prioritize high-growth companies + soft skills/relationships early
- •get known (LinkedIn, etc)