The company has some of the most incompetent managers, who under pressure, will throw their own people under the bus. By incompetent, I mean “yes” men who tell 10 different people exactly what they want to hear.
These are people doing the bare minimum to keep their own jobs, and when things go off rails, they pass the blame to everyone around them, without ever accepting any responsibility.
It’s the opposite of everything described in this article.
I’ve been in meetings where VPs acknowledged their expectations on a service launch had led to 60+ SDEs leaving the organization or leaving Amazon entirely. They had no remorse.
I was personally told to not get involved in day to day matters and keep a distance with engineers in my own organization, so I can better focus on doing what’s right for the company.
The other problem was that the L5/L6 managers, often without US permanent residency status, would simply cower out of fear of losing their own jobs. If such a manager loses their job, they have maybe 30 days to find another employer who provides them sponsorship, or otherwise they have to move back to India.
This led to managers not acting on their teams interest or protecting their engineers. Instead, they do everything to protect their own careers.
I’m convinced most L7+ managers at Amazon have no ability to empathize with engineers. They are literally coached (like I was) on avoiding it. It’s a sign of weakness.
I do NOT recommend working at Amazon. It’s a form of suicide for your physical and mental health.