Inside Amazon’s Transformation Startup Principles at Scale

Prime Highlights

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy encourages the company to be the “world’s largest startup,” moving fast, innovating, and being customer-obsessed.
He calls for more AI investment, cutting bureaucracy, and encouraging a builders and owners culture to drive change.

Key Facts

Amazon is building generative AI across products such as Alexa and Rufus and creating its own AI chips.
Project Kuiper will deploy more than 3,200 satellites to enable global broadband access.
Cost-effectiveness and speedier delivery continue to be main operational priorities.

Key Background

In his 2024 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy set out a comprehensive vision to reimagine Amazon’s culture and operations so that it operates like the “world’s largest startup.” Jassy set out a seven-principle framework designed to reinforce Amazon’s agility, velocity, and customer-centric innovation in today’s rapidly competitive environment.

In the center of Jassy’s message is a plea for placing real customer issues first. He cautioned against getting caught up in chasing technology for its own sake. Rather, he urged that each innovation needs to significantly enhance customer experiences. Jassy insisted on the value of “builders”—people with an incessant desire to make products better even when they are already in great working order. These builders, he insists, need to be accompanied by “owners” who approach Amazon’s resources and mission as one’s own.

Speed, as defined by Jassy, is non-negotiable. He debunked the belief that speed dilutes quality, saying high quality and rapid delivery can be simultaneous. Leadership at Amazon is charged with tearing down obstacles and bureaucracy that hamper progress. Jassy reported getting about 1,000 emails from workers that pointed out bureaucratic inefficiencies—a program meant to make Amazon leaner and more agile.

A major emphasis of the letter was Amazon’s investment in AI. Jassy labeled generative AI as the largest technological leap since the internet, pointing to the company’s efforts on AI infrastructure (such as Amazon Bedrock), custom AI chips, and advanced customer-facing software like Alexa and Rufus. More than 1,000 generative AI initiatives are being worked on in different Amazon business units.

Further, Jassy spoke about Project Kuiper, Amazon’s initiative to launch more than 3,200 satellites to provide affordable broadband worldwide, especially in underserved regions. Operationally, the company is also increasing same-day delivery through regional facilities and hopes to enhance delivery speed without escalating costs.

Jassy’s vision is based on simplifying the organization—eliminating redundant management layers and maximizing the proportion of individual contributors to decision-makers. Finally, his letter echoes Amazon’s plan to keep a startup mindset as it scales innovation globally.