Sitting across from an Amazon interviewer being asked to trash their own company is a strange place to be.
Acknowledge Amazon's strengths briefly, then offer 1-2 well-reasoned, constructive criticisms that are specific to your role or product area. Focus on systemic trade-offs (e.g., customer obsession vs. seller experience) and propose potential improvements, showing you think like an owner.
Pro tip: Criticize processes or systems, not people or culture, and always pair each criticism with a thoughtful suggestion for how Amazon could address it—this demonstrates Amazon's 'Think Big' and 'Invent and Simplify' leadership principles.
Briefly recognize what Amazon does well (e.g., customer obsession, logistics, AWS innovation) to show balanced perspective.
Select 1-2 criticisms that are specific to your role (software engineer) or a product area you know well, avoiding generic or personal attacks.
Provide concrete examples or data (e.g., from public reports, user feedback, or your own experience) to substantiate each criticism.
Suggest actionable ideas for how Amazon could address the criticism, aligning with Amazon's leadership principles and business goals.
Summarize that these criticisms come from a place of respect and a desire to see Amazon improve, reinforcing your fit for the role.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.