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Build your Skills, and then Move On...Management is Toxic

Software Developer
Former Employee
Worked at Amazon for 6 years
October 29, 2026
Seattle, WA
3.0
RecommendsNeutral OutlookNo CEO Opinion
Pros
  • It is a good way to build a career as a generalist.
  • You deliver lots of projects, with good distributed systems problems.
  • You get a Mac.
  • There are always a couple of really talented, smart people working with or near you.
Cons
  • Not super competitive "creature comfort" benefits. You get your pay, and that's it. Not even free Prime.
  • Management. It goes like this. They will say, "Hey, I want (need) this thing." They'll want (need) it in half the time you say it'll take. Also in that time, you'll get a million ad-hoc "things". But don't forget you have that important thing they need. And you will grind it out. And you will deliver the thing a little late, but way earlier than your original estimate. And they will say, "Hey, thanks, but we actually don't need this thing... but I DO really want (need) this other thing!!" And so on, and so forth. This cycle can be productive in that you learn how to build a "thing". But, it's quite a soul-crushing hamster wheel after enough time.
Advice to Management

None. The whole structure is broken. It's lower management fighting for a reason to exist by grinding their workers to the bone just to try and make their middle management happy, all the way up to the top. It is a virtuously toxic cycle that no one person can change. So, what advice can I give? I'd just be shouting into the void.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
2.0
Culture and Values
2.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
3.0
Career Opportunities
5.0
Compensation and Benefits
4.0
Senior Management
2.0

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