EP181 -'Think Like Amazon' Author John Rossman  John Rossman is a former Amazon executive who helped launched and scale the Amazon Marketplace, and he’s the author of “Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader“. In this wide ranging interview we cover some of the 50 ideas from the book about how Amazon operates, as well as how the ideas can apply to other businesses, and what businesses that are competing with Amazon should know. You can read more from John on his blog “The Amazon Blog“. Don’t forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 181 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Thursday, July 25th, 2019. Automated Transcription of the show Transcript Jason: [0:24] Welcome to the Jason and Scott show this is episode 181 being recorded on Thursday July 25th 2019 I’m your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and as usual I’m here with your co-host Scot Wingo. Scot: [0:39] Hey Jason and welcome back Jason Scott show listeners Jason I am super excited I’m tingly all over tonight we have on the show author of think like Amazon John Rossman that was published this year, and as you and the other listeners know I have started my first consumer-oriented company, and I’ve made it a court in and of what we’re doing to try to follow as many Amazon principles as as possible stuff like day one customer first there’s a million of them, to beat the teams Etc and what I have found is this information is exceedingly hard to come at you have to kind of meet all these X Amazon Indians and pick it out of them and I’ve actually unable to on the DL get a copy of some of the management principle guidelines I can’t say where I got them from, so this book is really a welcome addition to my library I’ve actually made everyone in our management team read it and it’s actually the Bible her operations at 9 so we’re real excited. John: [1:46] Hey thanks for having me. Scot: [1:48] Yesterday I feel like we could probably go I know I could go like 3 hours on this so we’re going to try to stuff it all in one hour so I’ll turn it over to Jason and he’ll kick us off. Jason: [1:58] Scot and that’s a quick you know warning for listeners that if if you’re exercising while listening to show you probably want to turn down the intensity just like this could be a long one. John first of all that’s a lot of pressure is spiffy fails it sounds like it’s going to be your fault. John: [2:15] It’s all in the implementation so it’s okay. Jason: [2:18] Smart well said so regular listeners that the show will know we always like to start by getting a little bit of background about our guest and sort of how you you came to your your current current role can you talk to us a little bit about your background. John: [2:33] Yeah so I was fortunate enough to play a senior role at Amazon I got to launch the marketplace business in 2002 and then I ran the D Enterprise Services business, and when I left Amazon late 2005 started working with my clients on digital strategy and Leadership and culture, I started to see the impact of all the principles and mechanisms and things we did Amazon get results and it was actually. [3:04] Several years after that that I had a client of mine at the gates foundation’s at John you really out of caption this up and write a book and. I did that and this book think like Amazon 50 and a half ideas to become a Gentle Leader you know one of the things I I like to point out the people as it really isn’t about Amazon it’s about you and what you can take from a company like Amazon and put into your approaches your habits your culture and I love hearing Scott talk about that you know you’re using it as an executive team and. Worst-case even if you don’t take the ideas just talking about them as a team will help you be more thoughtful and deliberate about your what you do believe in and so these are, authentic Amazon moves and strategies of use them with my clients since I’ve left Ama