Operating at Amazon

What does it take to run a 665,000-square-foot fulfillment center with 3,000 employees and millions of products? In this episode, Doug sits down with Alessandro Carbone, an Amazon General Manager who traded his law career in Italy—and never looked back. Alessandro shares how he thinks about flowing a building like a river, why a clean floor is a safety strategy, and what it means to lead like a mayor of a small Italian town. Along the way, they discuss the magic of getting avocados and AirPods to your door by morning, and why stepping outside your comfort zone is the best career advice he's ever followed.  

(00:00) – Introduction

(01:05) – What’s your Amazon story?

(02:00) – Amazon Pathways Program

(02:45) – Transitioning to Amazon

(03:13) – Amazon Culture

(05:11) – An Amazon Family

(06:20) – Alessandro’s ACY1 Site

(07:05) – Robotics at Amazon

(09:15) – Explaining Amazon to Alessandro’s “Nonna”

(11:00) – The Heart of Amazon’s Network

(14:45) – What does a GM do?

(17:00) – Walking the Floor

(19:00) – Complicated vs. Complex Problems

(22:12) – “Flowing” the Building

(23:15) – Operations Secret Sauce

(25:57) – 5S and Safety

(29:35) – ACY1 Culture

(32:33) – Service Leadership

(33:39) – “Flip the Script” – Alexa for Shopping

(38:08) – Shopping Beyond Amazon

(39:10) – Breaking out of your Comfort Zone

(40:43) – Obstacle is the Way

(41:37) – Learn and Be Curious Origin Story

(43:13) – Conclusion and Thank You

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