Stephen Waits’ Post

Last Tuesday marked my 6th anniversary at Amazon! From Day One, it’s been a journey filled with growth, challenges, and unforgettable experiences. I’m incredibly grateful for the remarkable people, inspiring leaders, and innovative projects that have shaped my path here. In classic Amazonian fashion, I’d like to share some data to put things in perspective: - I’m now more tenured than 88% of all Amazonians and 97% of the team in Mexico. - I’ve had the privilege of working with 5 outstanding managers and learning from 3 incredible mentors. - I was part of launching a global project/startup, which required me to build a world class team from scratch (185+ interviews to date). Today, I’m fortunate to work with an amazing group of smart, driven, and genuinely good people. One of my proudest achievements is having promoted 9 exceptional Amazonians, who continue to make a significant impact within my team and the wider International Expansions organization. To commemorate this milestone, I’d like to share 5 key lessons I’ve learned: 1) Leadership Principles: Every company should have its own set of Leadership Principles (aka. values, guiding principles, etc.). At Amazon, our 16 LP's guide decision-making, hiring, evaluations, and strategy. It’s now tough to live my personal life without considering these principles. 2) Communication: Effective communication (both written and verbal) is crucial for thriving as a leader. 3) Data and Mechanisms: Having data and the ability to analyze it is essential, but equally important is building the right mechanisms with your team to review, analyze, and make decisions based on that data. 4) Team: Building an amazing team around you is key. Leave your ego at the door and surround yourself with people who are smarter and complement your unique skills. 5) Risk and Failure: Embrace risks and fail fast. Own your failures, protect your team, learn from your mistakes, and build mechanisms to prevent similar failures in the future. Here’s to many more years of growth and innovation! #AmazonAnniversary #Day1 #ItsStillDay1 #InternationalExpansions #DIP

Comfort is the enemy of your destiny. Read that again and really let it resonate. One of my team members said this to me back in 2019 and it's stuck with me ever since - literally via a sticky note on my desk. This phrase was the anchor of my decision to change roles, from a business and team that I love, and move to London to begin a new chapter at Amazon leading PXT (aka Human Resources) for our corporate teams across Europe. The photo below was taken just last week as we embarked on our annual team summit- and it was amazing! But why? Why leave a dream job? Because there is more to learn. Why leave an incredible team? Because there is more talent to inspire and be inspired by. Why leave a great business? Because there is more to deliver. I won't do any of this on my own, but I'm excited to begin this new journey both personally and professionally. Change and uncertainty is where real growth happens and where you unlock new capabilities in yourself and others around you. I feel so fortunate to have the support of my colleagues and most importantly my family as I chart these new waters and hopefully unlock growth in all of them. So, let's take the good days with the troubled ones and lean into the ambiguity of what's before us. Even after all my years at #Amazon, it's still Day 1.

This month marks my 4-year anniversary as a Senior Software Development Manager at Amazon. Reflecting on my journey, I’ve learned a lot about Amazon’s “peculiar” culture and its Leadership Principles. From “Customer Obsession” to “Invent and Simplify,” these principles have been a guiding force in our relentless pursuit of delivery excellence. Even though it’s Day 1,462 for me, it’s always Day 1 at Amazon. Embracing this mindset has allowed me to continuously innovate and drive impactful change. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to add my own peculiarities into the mix, contributing to the dynamic and diverse environment we thrive in. As I look ahead, I am grateful for the opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to something greater. Here’s to continually embracing challenges and driving meaningful change. "Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It remains Day 1" Jeff Bezos #Amazon #LeadershipPrinciples #Day1 #Anniversary #Introspection #Growth #NotWrittenWithAI PS: I’m hiring - check out the position if you are a Boston-based (or want to be) builder who likes to make cool things for millions of folks to use! https://lnkd.in/eRdWXkvE

“Intense”. That’s what my last interviewer answered at Amazon to my question on “What’s it like”. I have repeated the same since 2021 every time someone asks ☺️. After almost 3 years my #Amazon adventure is coming to an end and any message is too short to describe what an absolutely amazing and challenging ride it’s been, both professionally and personally. Almost one thousand #Day1 raising the bar along incredibly talented and passionate people who were with me through Tech integration, amazon freight partners, and tech program and product management. Luxembourg, London, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona, Seattle…Leadership principles that will stay with me forever (Chime after chime) along with the (infinite) amount of acronyms. Abhishek saini, Taher Beawerwala, Amey Tambe,Shrabana Chakraborty, Annamitra Mahanty, Sebastien De Vuyst, Vignesh Solairaj, Shipra Singh, Sarvita Sethi, Daniel Kasack, Michal Rzeszucinski, Bangali Bangura, Avipsa Mishra, Marisa Blasco Bayona, Katherine Solano, Daniyal Ahmed Silvia Villalobos, Anna Incollingo only to name a few! And my awesome PPM team of Tech Program and product managers Noor Adnan Chris Exton Anand Kelkar Rajesh Javeri Liliana G. Subha Ramadoss Alexandru Florian Chiriac Edson Heller Kenneth Harrison … THANKYOU for all the guidance, energy, positiveness, and learnings I keep from you as a leader, a mentor, a mentee, a colleague, a team member, or a friend. I hope that our paths cross again even if outside a doc review, a workshop or an OP process. With that said, I’m really excited and looking forward to the next chapter I will start in July after a well deserved break (stay tuned)!! #amazonian #lastday #career #leadership #people #tech #ats

SAPPY POST INCOMING Don't say I didn't warn ya. When I joined #ProjectKuiper over four years ago, I had no idea the wild ride I would be on. I had flirted with joining Amazon over the years; we had rejected each other at various stages through the decades. An eastside girl, I was strongly against commuting to Seattle so the job would have to be TRULY EPIC. (My PNW friends know) When I got a nudge about Kuiper, hearing that it was ALSO HQ'd (at the time) out of Bellevue, you know I had to hear more. To date I've hired more than 400 Amazonians (I think I am damn close if not over 500 by now!), built entire teams from scratch, watched MANY leaders I hired as ICs develop into managers and also help build THEIR teams. I've moved from Program Management to Design Engineering to ASIC to Production/Manufacturing and Enterprise Technology. There are few parts of Kuiper I haven't touched in some capacity. To be gifted my very own mission patch (they made special ones for the recruiting team!) is pretty dang cool. To me, it's not just a patch (which is still awesome). It's a sign that we are truly considered part of the Kuiper mission and not just some random support team. To quote one of the best leaders I ever worked with (who happened to be at Kuiper at the time) - "if your recruiter isn't your best friend, you're doing it wrong". Thanks Kuiper team for being my besties. ❤️ 🛰 #Recruiting #RecruiterLife #SpaceJobs

🌟 Reflecting on Two Transformative Years at Amazon 🌟 In my two years at Amazon, I’ve learned invaluable lessons that have shaped my professional journey: 🔍 Embrace a Day 1 Culture: I’ve adopted a "Day 1" mindset, approaching each challenge with curiosity and a willingness to innovate. This perspective has turned obstacles into opportunities for growth. 🤝 Champion Inclusion: I’ve come to understand that true innovation thrives in diverse environments. By fostering inclusion, I help create spaces where every voice is valued, leading to richer discussions and creative solutions. ✨ Unlimited Exposure: I’ve gained invaluable experiences by seeking out new challenges and projects. This exposure has allowed me to expand my skill set and broaden my horizons. 🚀 Challenge Hierarchies: I’ve learned the importance of flattening hierarchies. Encouraging open communication and feedback has empowered our team and enhanced collaboration. 🌍 Learn from Diversity: Working alongside diverse teams has broadened my perspective. Each interaction teaches me something new, enriching my personal and professional growth. I’m excited to continue this journey of learning and collaboration! 💪✨ #Amazon #GlowRoad #glowroadbyamazon #Growth #Inclusion #Opportunity #Diversity

✨ 1 Month at Amazon: A Journey of Growth and Learning 🎉 One month ago, I took the exciting step of starting my professional career at Amazon - my first job after graduation. The past 30 days have been an incredible whirlwind of learning, adapting, and growing. ☘ In just a month, I've had the opportunity to work alongside talented and passionate individuals who inspire me every day. I've learned so much about the power of innovation, collaboration, and customer obsession that Amazon is renowned for. Every challenge is a chance to grow, and every success is a moment to celebrate. The road ahead is full of opportunities, and I'm thrilled to continue building my skills, contribute to impactful projects, and be part of such an amazing team! 🚀 To anyone just starting their career or facing challenge as a new hire - embrace the journey! Growth happens in the most unexpected places, and every step forward, no matter how small, counts. #Amazon #NewBeginnings #1MonthAnniversary #FirstJob #LearningAndGrowth

Amazon is a challenging place to work. Also a uniquely exciting one to develop a career. It has such a strong focus on maintaining a very differentiated culture, a set of #principles that enable amazing speed, ownership and innovation that sometimes (often even) it really makes people behave in ways that we are not used to in our past corporate experience. It is a polarizing place. You love it or you hate it. It is not a place where you can just switch on/off on Mondays & Fridays. If you do not “embody” the way of working, it will eat you alive. But boy, how much fun it can be if you learn how to ride the beast! Reading “Exit Interview” by Kristi Coulter has made me re-experience my first 5 years in the company, and the difficult yet obvious decision to leave at some point. It has also made me reflect and deep dive on why I decided to come back after 3 years away. I love the working culture of Amazon, because of what it enables me to achieve, to learn and to grow as a professional. From all the opinions in the book, the one I totally agree with and want to actively work to change is the lack of diversity and promotion of strong women to make the company less of a boy’s club, alpha-led environment. I’ve been very lucky to know probably one of the strongest women in Amazon from my very first day in 2016, when I joined Kara Hartnett Hurst sustainability team. I am now also very lucky to work for an amazing expert and leader such as Lindsay McQuade. But we still need to do much more to have a leadership that is representative of our customers, diverse and inclusive. #Diversity #WomenLeadership #Change #Principles #Values

Taking a career break can feel like a leap of faith and honestly, super scary, but I'm incredibly grateful for the transformative journey it has been for me. My five years at Amazon were a whirlwind of growth, where I juggled earning my master's degree while at the same time navigating increasingly complex roles at Amazon. I honed my time management skills, embraced responsibility, and discovered a passion for program management. The promotions and growth opportunities were rewarding, but the relentless pace eventually took a toll. I recognized that my work-life balance needed urgent attention. So, I took the plunge – a career break to prioritize my well being and invest in my professional development. Now, six months into this break, the benefits are undeniable. I've gained clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose. By spending my time learning and earning relevant certifications for my career growth, I've solidified my expertise and prepared for the next chapter. I'm immensely thankful for the lessons learned and relationships built at Amazon where it is always day 1. The foundation I built there is invaluable as I embark on a new path, fueled by a healthier, more balanced perspective. #careerbreak #personalgrowth #programmanagement #newbeginnings #grateful #mentalhealth

#History isn’t made in a day and certainly won’t be this time, but #constantlearning happens daily and is the most important part of that history making process. So, here’s to #newbeginnings and #continuedgrowth! - IJ.  Tell me, where else can you do this in such a short period of time? - I can’t imagine any other place where I would have #grown so much, #sofast. From closing some of the #biggest #energycontracts for #AI #ML growth, to #buildingateam and #culture that insists on #highstandards, a #biasforaction, and #ownership like there’s no tomorrow. I’ve learned how to scale quickly by #challengingtheprocess and questioning the #statusquo every single day. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best #CEOs and #leaders in the #energysector, and together, we’ve already changed the landscape of the industry, with Mississippi, Indiana to be the early ones. I’ve received many heartfelt messages asking, “Why now, when things were going so well?” - Well, it’s all part of the #constantlearning process, and I see this #opportunity as an important step in my #personallife and #professionalgrowth. I believe in always challenging the status quo and #doingtherightthing even when it may not feel like the easiest, the right one or most obvious choice in the moment. As I turn the page to a #newchapter in my career, I want to take a moment to express my #deepgratitude to #Amazon for the incredible opportunities I’ve had to grow, learn, and contribute. Can’t thank my family enough who stood strong with me while I was doing the right thing and staying on road almost full time doing the #rightthing for my #customers and my #team. No, I don’t have something lined up just yet. But I’m #activelylooking for #leadershiproles where I can leverage my experience in the #energy and #datacenter markets to #build better teams, #strongercompanies, and a more #meaningfullife for everyone around me—whether directly or indirectly. Another #Day1 begins ....