Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Agility, AI Strategy, and the Changing Role of Managers

A conversation with the head of Amazon on their competitive advantage in an age of uncertainty. From HBR's IdeaCast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

00:00 - Startup mindset at scale
01:30 - Key traits of a startup culture
03:10 - Speed and reducing bureaucracy
05:00 - Rethinking management and ownership
07:00 - Why Amazon brought people back to the office
09:00 - In-person collaboration vs. remote work
11:30 - Advice for cutting complexity in large organizations
13:30 - AI strategy and Amazon’s tech stack
17:00 - Rufus and reinventing retail with AI
20:30 - Societal impact and risks of AI
22:40 - Leading through global uncertainty
25:15 - What 21st-century leadership requires
26:30 - Jassy’s best career advice

It's a tough time to lead one of the biggest companies in the world - one that depends on supply chains, physical infrastructure, and top tech talent to stay competitive. But Andy Jassy, who took over as CEO of Amazon from legendary founder Jeff Bezos in 2021, manages in a way that he says helps him stay focused on what is best for their products and ultimately their customers. He explains his decision to get workers back to the office five days a week, why he is building an organization less dependent on managers, and how their artificial intelligence strategy differs from the rest.


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