for W3c validation
Note: as I’m currently evaluating and interviewing for product manager opportunities, I’m publishing many answers to the product, behavioral, business, and life questions I’m researching/practicing publicly rather than keep them private in a Google doc.
3 Things you Would Change in Amazon and Why
With Amazon being the biggest tech employer in Seattle, it should be no surprise they are one of the potential employers I’ve digging into.
I personally use Amazon to shop for household goods. Alexa is a daily habit for weather and music — and occasionally news. My Kindle is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made (thanks Andrew Mattie for prompting that purchase), and I purchase books every month or two using the Kindle Store. I’ve subscribed digitally to Fortune and Time since 2010 (I used to subscribe to the Economist too). Oh Hey World / Horizon have both used AWS. I’m a prime member.
With that backdrop, what would I improve about Amazon?
- Product search: I often find myself completely overwhelmed with available purchases. Therefore, a curation layer to deliver a simplified search for those who just want the best options (as opposed to all) would be a great addition to the core search experience for physical products.
- Kindle: a monthly email giving me exactly 2 suggested purchases would likely increase my spending (and reading). Ditch the rest of the emails I presently tune out due to “noise”.
- Alexa: give me one monthly email with 3 things I should know, rather than (weekly?) emails highlighting one item each. I find I tune out all the Alexa emails because the volume is seemingly too frequent.
- Branding: I think Amazon is rapidly, rapidly approaching the point at which branding separate products is a requirement to success. When I think of “Amazon”, honestly I still think of books — yet Amazon has their hands is a vast, vast array of industries. That said, I do get they are really competing with Google to be the search engine of choice — which bodes well to developing one super, super strong brand rather than diluting efforts over multiple brands.
What would you change about Amazon?
