Former Amazon board member Tom Alberg reviews the new book, ‘Working Backwards’
February 9, 2021 at 11:24 am
Madrona Managing Director Tom Alberg, one of Amazon’s first investors, speaks with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at a Madrona event in 2015. (Madrona Photo)
[Editor’s Note: Tom Alberg, managing director at Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group, was an Amazon investor who served on the company’s board of directors from 1996 to 2019. He’s the author of the forthcoming book, “How Big Are Your Town’s Flywheels? – What We Can Learn from Seattle.”]
I am often asked, “Why is Amazon so successful?”
A couple of years ago, while I was on Amazon’s board, the CEO of a large European insurance company who was attending Microsoft’s annual CEO Summit contacted me through a friend on his board and wanted to meet with me. When we met, he asked, “What are Amazon’s secrets of success?” I told him, as I tell others, Amazon has no secret management