Amazon

Work with highly motivated top talent from across the tech industry.

Mechanisms and processes, albeit a bit crude, are effective and relatively mature and streamlined in most organizations. This generally leads to product roadmaps that drive KPIs and OKRs successfully.

Generally a professional environment. Despite the high stress and long hours, most people remain respectful and dignified.

Efficiency, especially on communication, is a critical skill across all levels. When this skill is regularly well practiced, it is also beneficial outside the workplace.

Emphasis on high scale fosters a technical learning environment.

The classic Leadership Principles established by Bezos and Co many years ago are great models for corporate culture. Unfortunately, they are not as effectively implemented as they once were (see Cons below).

Generally very strong compensation relative to the industry.

Under Jassy's leadership, there is more emphasis on businesses with actual results and less on theoretical ones, which was a good model for AWS and helps overall prioritization.

Leadership principles are weaponized and underground corporate memes abound; interpretation has become leader specific and contentious. This has resulted in the not formally acknowledged but well known "shadow principles" among employees being whispered in water-cooler discussions and replacing the conversations that used to be about innovation.

Corporate culture and values are no longer consistent in top leadership. The exodus of long-term leaders results in sometimes periods of toxicity in different orgs until rooted out by lagging indicators. If it's your org, you have to see the signs and bounce quickly.

Underperformers are sometimes simply that, but more often are usually those who did not build the right strategic relationships. The "survival of the fittest" culture is less about skill and more about bureaucratic proficiency to block or accelerate others based on political favor and personal gain rather than customer benefit.

Skills sometimes stagnate as roles and teams generally become repetitive, which, combined with performance and org culture shifts, creates long-term uncertainty in org balance through wide swings in cycles of attrition and growth.

Jassy's public statements seem to be what people want to hear rather than the actual. His predecessor (Bezos) was never afraid to speak his mind, which creates the perception that Jassy is a weaker leader.

New processes are needed to adapt to a changing industry, where big tech is beginning to stagnate. Culture needs to be refreshed and reinforced at the top level. Public statements from Jassy come across to most employees as lip service.