The Amazon decision framework every solo builder should apply — but almost none do. How to separate the decisions you can undo from the ones you live with.
The Amazon decision framework every solo builder should apply — but almost none do. How to separate the decisions you can undo from the ones you live with.
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Every significant product decision has a type. Type 1 decisions are irreversible — once you commit, walking back costs you everything. Type 2 decisions are reversible — wrong call, come back, try again.
This guide documents the framework Jeff Bezos described in his 2015 shareholder letter, how Amazon applied it to launch Prime and AWS, and how I used it to make Hookem's first major product decision: Instagram-only positioning.
Includes a 5-question checklist you can run through any decision before you commit — and a breakdown of how to identify which type you're dealing with.
Who this is for
About the author
Jonathan is a software engineer at Amazon, building Hookem — an AI tool that analyses what makes content go viral — alongside his day job.
Every product decision is documented in public. These guides are the written version of that process.
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