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Four years ago, I interviewed with Amazon for a Program Manager role with relocation to Dublin. The result? I successfully failed the third round — System Design. Since then, I’ve dived deep into System Design: I’ve gained a much better understanding of architecture approaches, potential risks, what technical teams need to build robust systems, and what questions to ask product teams to align on requirements. But one question still puzzles me: why are Program Managers expected to validate technical decisions if a PrM ≠ Architect or Tech Lead?

When I asked how to grow at Amazon, I always heard back: More scope & impact. Find projects that affect more teams and bring bigger results. That is true for product career in general. Most people focus on the “shiny” objects: • Brand name  • Title • Compensation But here is the thing: Sometimes titles don’t match the reality. I’ve met L7s whose scope was so tiny that it would be considered junior PM elsewhere. I’ve met people who work at FAANG companies and make $$$$ but are embarrassed to tell what they actually do. Growing a product career is not about titles or comp. It’s about the scope and results you bring to the business. Your title and compensation later are simply outcomes of that. Next time you evaluate the offer, think about: * How much of the product will you own? Will you own multiple products? * What internal / external users will this impact and are they important to the business? * Is it a revenue-generating team? Sometimes titles are BS. Scope never is. 

Few months back, we heard news about Amazon laid off 15000 managers and now Google 🫥 . I am not very sure about the reasons here but let me try to wrap it in my thoughts. Generally managers are responsible for communicating about the project status, creating clarity and defining scope of the project plan. In a nutshell end to end plannig is being done by them that get redistributed among his/her engineers 🧑🏻💻 A major reason for this could be the proactive attitude of engineers and a lot of automation to communicate the progress and asks of the project that really ease down manager’s responsibility where the higher leaders fee that they are not getting the value out of their managers. They are being hired at a very good amount and to equate the value of that amount looks missing somewhere. Again, it’s just my opinion based on the past experience in corporate. Calling out all seniors to please correct me and add more here. Thoughts 💭 👇 Follow Shivam Sharma 🙌 #layoff #google #manager #amazon #senior #corporate #thoughts #follow #connections

In my first year at Amazon, I was given valuable but off-putting advice. I was told that being confident and relaxed in my job means it's time to get a new job. That threw me off a bit. It probably took me a few years to really grok what they were saying. You know how uncomfortable you feel when you take on something new? Perhaps you joined a new company. Or you might have agreed to give a speech at some event. Or you've been put in charge of writing some critical document at work. Regardless of the situation, the feeling sort of sucks. You feel nervous. If you're anything like me, you can't stop thinking about how you might screw it up, or forget something, or show everyone that you're not as competent as they thought. It shows up for me as a twisting in my stomach which won't quite go away. And yet, that's basically the feeling of growth. You're doing something new. You're learning. You're doing something you're not 100% comfortable doing because you haven't done it a thousand times. And you *might* screw it up, which means your worries aren't unreasonable. Particularly as you gain experience at a company or in a position, we start to relax as we gain experience. "Can you take over this project?" "Sure! No problem." Because it is no problem. We've become comfortable in this area. Competent. Secure. People refer and defer to you. That stressed feeling goes away. And we need to convince ourselves that this is a bad sign. Because unfortunately, the time of which your job (or life, or hobbies) becomes simple and relaxing, it means you've stopped growing. And as the saying goes, "If you're not growing, you're dying." I was lucky enough to hear that lesson early in my time at Amazon. I understood it as time went on, and I carefully moved myself not just to new opportunities, but new spaces where I could grow. It didn't always go as planned, but it always created learning. One of my favorite learnings was when I moved from Director to General Manager (essentially owning a business) at Amazon, and what I learned from that move. https://lnkd.in/gRBX8GT6

I am excited to share that I’ve been promoted to Senior Product Manager at Amazon! The past two years have been a whirlwind of growth, challenges, self-discovery, and transformational experiences. Year 1 was a search for passion; Year 2 was about living it. Along the way, I navigated multiple trade-offs between personal and professional life. This journey taught me: 1️⃣ Life is like options trading: Sometimes, life doesn’t offer equity upfront, so you place your bets on high-risk, high-reward options. With strong fundamentals and technical skills, those bets can pay off, bringing a unique sense of accomplishment. 2️⃣ The present matters most: Your worth is defined by what you do today—your past only sets the stage, but it’s the present that earns the applause. 3️⃣ Kindness and empathy leave a lasting impact: Nothing compares to the fulfillment of bringing a smile to your customers, even when it demands resilience and perseverance. Politeness can win most battles. Above all, hard work is irreplaceable. When effort is backed by pure intentions, even external forces align to support your success. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support I’ve received: • Felix Wenzelmann and Daniel Kasack, my amazing manager and skip, for trusting, shielding and creating an envt. to foster innovation. • Vignesh Solairaj my org head who guided me through tough times and helped me rediscover my strength. • My Parents, Aisworya Mishra, Biswanath Panda, Neelabh Mayand- for igniting the hunger, all my supporters and the wider stakeholders I have worked with and formed wonderful connections. This milestone is just the beginning, and I’m excited for the road ahead. #Careergrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Amazon #Logistics #TransportationServices

Big news, folks! This month marks two huge milestones for me at Amazon, and I'm overjoyed to share: I've just been promoted to Senior Program Manager (L6), and it's my 5-year Amaversary! Wow, five years. It feels like yesterday and forever at the same time. This journey has been a whirlwind of challenges, growth, and unforgettable experiences. From my first 'day one' to this promotion, I've had the chance to work on amazing projects and with even more amazing people. To my incredible teammates and mentors - you've been the secret sauce. Your support, genius ideas, and occasional much-needed coffee chats have made all the difference. I couldn't have reached this point without you. As I step into this new role, I'm excited for what's ahead. New challenges, bigger projects, and the opportunity to make an even greater impact. Here's to the next chapter of this Amazon adventure! #Amazon #5YearStrong #SeniorProgramManager #GratefulAndExcited #Promotion #L6

#week 3 of writing: Today we talk about the core responsibility of a good #product #manager - defining #northStar vision for his domain! So, what is the north star (NS)vision? It is nothing but the PMs unconstrained take on solving the most critical customer need without worrying about resources, cost, feasibility etc! How do you know if the vision is right/ wrong? If in the process of presenting your document to leadership, you didn't ruffle any feathers with stakeholders/ had tough conversations - know you haven't been bold enough! NS is by definition extremely bold and hence it is expected that you will run into challenges while aligning across teams/ locales What do you do if #stakeholders do not agree ? Either you agree with them, or you make them agree with you. Simple! However, do know that if you took the former route, you are not a great PM! You are expected to take feedback from others, but the ultimate should be yours and yours only! Credits - I have to genuinely thank my x-employer Amazon for instilling this clarity, albeit the hard way! But glad they did, what they did. Who knows the past employer may become the future one if stars did align in a distant galaxy! 😃 #mentoring #guidance #customer #obsession #day1 #amazon

Even as a Director at Amazon with 12 years under my belt, ramping up in a new position was rough at times. Here's a quick quote from a story about my new general manager job. --- "So, let's talk about your organization. You should cancel 3 of your 4 major projects. They are useless. Only project Y is useful. Here's what you should do." And she confidently explains why one of my projects is useful, and I should move my entire organization onto that single project. There goes my confident happy feelings. Since I'm only marginally familiar with my project, the business, and where Amazon should fit into the industry, I'm mostly able to nod and say "interesting" and "ahh" at the right times. --- For the entire fun story, read on!

Hello everyone! Thrilled to share my experience from today's session with Ayush Gupta, Senior Product Manager at Amazon! Ayush sir shared his valuable thoughts..He also tells us about his inspiring journey about how we become software product manager at Amazon. He shares his experience on working as a software developer or a software product manager, tells how much difference between the works or both the posts and also talks about the work experience at Amazon. Some key points from the session as follows: 1.) Talks about emphasize building a strong foundation in programming and problem solving skills. 2.) What are the problems that a product manager or a software developer faces during his job. 3.) How to develop a connection between a customer and company. 4.) About the communication skills and cultivative collaboration to work effectively in a team. 5.) Stay curious, keep learning and adapt new technologies and trends. thank you sir for sharing your experiences and thoughts that will help us to achieve success in life. #jecrc University #jic

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