Former Amazonian here, including Prime Video and Amazon Studio teams, while you were the leader (alas, as an L6 manager in Seattle who only traveled to LA we didn't intersect in our roles). Unfortunately you were railroaded out of the company while I was there, and had to deal with the ridiculous "replacement," Salke, whose only skill was being a woman when that was the #1, 2 and 3 requirement for success. Salke was an industry name dropper with an attitude that far exceeded her abilities. That her rise coincided with Bezos' own Hollywood desires (ummm, ahem) nearly tanked anything resembling the Amazon of customer zeal, leadership principles, PRFAQs, and other elements that set the company far and above other tech behemoths. You were profoundly important there, and were missed. She was not, and will not.
Thanks, Tony. I retired in 2019. Once it started going bad it accelerated into an HR-led monstrosity. As a continued shareholder I'm hoping Jassy can right the ship.
I was once a stand-up comedian and only ever had credits at one show. But after reading this, I feel like I’d go to war with this guy. Amazon really made a poor choice letting him go.
I know it’s not much consolation, but I too know what it’s like to be railroaded out of the industry.
I see you danced around the topic of what exactly it is that made these shows far less receptive then they could have and should have been; ideology. I can understand why anyone not wanting to get black listed in entertainment would avoid pointing this out but as long as men continue to put up with affirmative action and now DEI none of this will get any better. Salke clearly had no business being where she was. She got the job b/c it came during the height of the pro-feminist movement, a movement that is finally starting to see pushback as men and non-feminist women are fed up with the damage and destructive incompetent people in positions of power and authority have wrecked on society.
Until we start requiring ALL, including women, to be judged on the same set of guidelines and those MUST be based in merit, this will all continue because ideologues are never wrong.
Something tells me that even now, Salke blames her failed tenure not on her own actions & choices but that it was b/c there are too many toxic men out there.
In other words, they need to apologize and re-hire Roy Price.
They also need to fix their user experience. The dashboard is a minefield of trying to find what one can watch for free right now, versus what's unavailable, what requires a subscription to another streamer, etc. It's become so chaotic that I actively avoid Prime Video.
Former Amazonian here, including Prime Video and Amazon Studio teams, while you were the leader (alas, as an L6 manager in Seattle who only traveled to LA we didn't intersect in our roles). Unfortunately you were railroaded out of the company while I was there, and had to deal with the ridiculous "replacement," Salke, whose only skill was being a woman when that was the #1, 2 and 3 requirement for success. Salke was an industry name dropper with an attitude that far exceeded her abilities. That her rise coincided with Bezos' own Hollywood desires (ummm, ahem) nearly tanked anything resembling the Amazon of customer zeal, leadership principles, PRFAQs, and other elements that set the company far and above other tech behemoths. You were profoundly important there, and were missed. She was not, and will not.
Interesting insight and pretty much what most suspected thanks, and good luck with what ever your doing these days
Thanks, Tony. I retired in 2019. Once it started going bad it accelerated into an HR-led monstrosity. As a continued shareholder I'm hoping Jassy can right the ship.
I was once a stand-up comedian and only ever had credits at one show. But after reading this, I feel like I’d go to war with this guy. Amazon really made a poor choice letting him go.
I know it’s not much consolation, but I too know what it’s like to be railroaded out of the industry.
Yep sounds like a plan, challenge is will someone have the courage to implement?
Excellent analysis! Common sense with some risk keeps it interesting on a daily basis.
Great piece, Roy. Would that they listen to you!
I see you danced around the topic of what exactly it is that made these shows far less receptive then they could have and should have been; ideology. I can understand why anyone not wanting to get black listed in entertainment would avoid pointing this out but as long as men continue to put up with affirmative action and now DEI none of this will get any better. Salke clearly had no business being where she was. She got the job b/c it came during the height of the pro-feminist movement, a movement that is finally starting to see pushback as men and non-feminist women are fed up with the damage and destructive incompetent people in positions of power and authority have wrecked on society.
Until we start requiring ALL, including women, to be judged on the same set of guidelines and those MUST be based in merit, this will all continue because ideologues are never wrong.
Something tells me that even now, Salke blames her failed tenure not on her own actions & choices but that it was b/c there are too many toxic men out there.
In other words, they need to apologize and re-hire Roy Price.
They also need to fix their user experience. The dashboard is a minefield of trying to find what one can watch for free right now, versus what's unavailable, what requires a subscription to another streamer, etc. It's become so chaotic that I actively avoid Prime Video.