Paul Misener, senior vice-president for global innovation policy and communications at Amazon, speaking at the GCV Digital Forum 2021 described how being obsessed over customers instead of competitors is the key to Amazon’s innovation strategy.
“Our invention machine relies very heavily on customer sessions, where we figure out what the customer can get out of a product or service. This is what drives all the innovation and the invention that goes into it,” said Misener.
Another unique and essential part of the Amazon formula, according to Misener, is also the willingness to fail.
“We fail all the time and we are actually proud of our failures, because our willingness to fail in the name of doing something truly new and innovative has allowed us to achieve incredible goals. It has given us the freedom to try new things without worrying about the direct consequences for customers, making sure that things fail within Amazon before they reach our customers.”
Furthermore, Amazon’s strategy has an additional component that represents a strong factor for the firm’s innovation approach, Misener explained: “Diversity allows us to break down that confirmation bias that we all have, as human beings,” he said. “Our diverse teams are better positioned to identify flaws and optimise product development and innovation.”