When it comes to developing products that captivate the market, the Amazon “Working Backwards” method is a blueprint for success. This proven strategy reverses traditional development by beginning with the end goal: the customer’s needs and wants.
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What Is the Amazon “Working Backwards” Method?
The “Working Backwards” method is a revolutionary approach to product development rooted in Amazon’s corporate culture. It starts by envisioning the product as if it were already in the market, replete with a press release aimed at the potential customer. This serves as the first actionable step for the product team, guiding the subsequent development phases.
Don’t stop here; there’s more to unfold.
Components of a “Working Backwards” Press Release
The press release isn’t just a cursory task; it’s a pivotal tool that shapes the project’s direction. Ian McAllister, a former Amazon director and current head of product at Airbnb, outlines several crucial elements that must be included:
- Product Name: Clearly identify the product to set the stage.
- Target Audience: Define the customer segments that the product aims to serve.
- Problem Statement: Outline the problem that the product will solve.
- Customer Benefits: Explain the advantages or solutions the product offers to the customer.
- Company Quote: Include a motivational statement from a company spokesperson that highlights the product’s essence and goals.
- Call to Action: Provide straightforward instructions for how the customer can engage with the product immediately.
- Optional FAQ: Address common business or tactical questions that may arise during the product’s development.
McAllister emphasizes that the press release must be concise, clear, and compelling. This will often require iterative editing to distill the essence of the product concept effectively.
Why Adopt the “Working Backwards” Method?
Adopting the “Working Backwards” approach yields multiple benefits for product teams, some of which are:
- Viability Gut-Check: Drafting a press release is far less resource-intensive than developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or conducting expansive market surveys. The exercise offers a quick validation—or invalidation—of the product idea based on the team’s enthusiasm or lack thereof.
- Development Roadmap: Once the idea clears the initial gut-check, the press release serves as a strategic compass during the development phase, ensuring alignment and focus within the team.
- Customer-Centricity: The method resonates with Amazon’s principle of “customer obsession,” demanding that product teams rigorously consider customer needs right from the conceptual stage. Unless the press release can convincingly articulate the customer benefit, the product idea is less likely to proceed to the development stage.
What Constitutes a Real-world Application of the Amazon Working Backwards Method?
Imagine you end the day with only 4 units of your product sold. To determine the initial inventory, you reverse-engineer the sales process to account for all units distributed or sold during the day. The aim is to discover the starting inventory, much like figuring out how many cookies were originally on the plate.
Addressing Five Crucial Questions to Begin Working Backwards
The Working Backwards approach commences by contemplating five key questions:
- Who is your target customer? Contextualize this by time, place, and situation.
- What problem or opportunity is the customer facing?
- What stands out as the primary benefit for the customer?
- How have you ascertained what customers genuinely want or require?
- Can you envision the customer’s journey and experience with the product?
What Does Working Backwards Look Like in Everyday Scenarios?
Suppose you need to arrive at a wedding by 3:30 PM and it takes 2.5 hours to reach the destination without encountering traffic. To calculate your departure time, you employ the working backward heuristic, which is a problem-solving approach many of us use subconsciously.
Why Choose the Working Backwards Strategy?
Opting for a working backwards strategy optimizes product development by enhancing focus and efficiency. With a pre-defined end goal, teams are less likely to deviate or create irrelevant features.
The Underlying Aim of the Working Backwards Approach
The most compelling advantage of the working backward method lies in its ability to compel the product team to view their project from a customer’s perspective. Too often, teams become engrossed in feature sets; crafting a press release using this method ensures that everyone understands the ‘why’ behind the product, not just the ‘how.’
There you have it—a comprehensive guide to mastering the Amazon “Working Backwards” method, from its conceptual framework to its practical application. Adopt this approach to create products that not only meet but exceed customer expectations.