Internal memos reveal Amazon executives framed the layoff of 16,000 corporate workers as a move to become the 'world's largest startup,' emphasizing a culture of ownership, speed, and experimentation. The memos, written by top AWS executives, detail the company's communication strategy around the layoffs, affecting teams within AWS, retail, and subscription services.
Internal memos from Amazon executives explained the company's decision to lay off 16,000 corporate workers as necessary to become the "world's largest startup," according to the messages viewed by Business Insider.
"Our ambition is to be the world's largest startup," Amazon executives wrote in two such memos viewed by Business Insider. "That means doubling down on a culture of ownership, speed, and experimentation — which requires us to continue evolving how we're structured."The "world's largest startup" has become a common refrain under Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who repeatedly referenced the company's ability to operate like a startup in his latest shareholder letter.The memos viewed by Business Insider, written by Amazon Web Services vice president Prasad Kalyanaraman and senior vice president Colleen Aubrey, include other similarities, providing insight into how Amazon likely directed its top executives to communicate about the layoffs:Greg Pearson, another AWS VP, also addressed layoffs in a memo and urged staff to "use technology to simplify work," Business Insider previously reported. Amazon also shared more information for laid-off employees in an FAQ and emails from Amazon HR chief Beth Galetti.Internal Slack messages viewed by Business Insider suggest affected teams include those within the company's AWS cloud unit, such as the AI cloud service Bedrock, the cloud data warehouse service Redshift, and the ProServe consulting team, as well as retail business teams such as the Prime subscription service and the last-mile Delivery Experience team.Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.Prasad Kalyanaraman, VP of AWS Infrastructure:Colleen Aubrey, SVP of Applied AI Solutions:Have a tip? Contact Ashley Stewart via email at astewart@businessinsider.com or Signal at +1-425-344-8242. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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