Jeff Bezos and Amazon's 6-Page Memo: Strategy Meetings

How often do we leave a meeting feeling like our time was well-spent, that genuine progress was made, and that everyone was on the same page?

If your answer isn't often, then it's time to learn from the playbook of one of the most successful business leaders of our time: Jeff Bezos.

Bezos, the founder of Amazon, famously implemented a 6-page memo rule for executive meetings. This simple change revolutionized Amazon's internal discussions, fostering deeper engagement, critical thinking, and ultimately, better decision-making.

The Default Approach for Meetings: The Problem

Before diving into the solution, let's understand the problem. The default mode for most meetings is a PowerPoint presentation. While visually appealing, bullet points often serve as a crutch, allowing presenters to gloss over details, avoid deep dives, and rely on verbal explanations that can be inconsistent or incomplete.

Attendees, meanwhile, are often passively listening, multitasking, or simply waiting for their turn to speak. This leads to:

• Superficial Discussions: Lack of detail prevents a thorough examination of issues.
• Information Asymmetry: Not everyone has the same level of understanding.
• Dominant Personalities: The most vocal individuals can steer the conversation, not necessarily the most informed.
• Inefficient Use of Time: Meetings often run over, with little tangible output.
• Poor Decision-Making: Hasty decisions based on incomplete information.

Bezos' 6-Page Memo Unpacked

Bezos' solution was to ban PowerPoint and replace it with a structured, narrative-driven memo, typically 6 pages in length, read silently at the beginning of every meeting.

Here's why it works and how you can adapt it for your strategy meetings:

1. Forced Clarity and Deep Thinking

Writing a 6-page narrative memo forces the author to think deeply and articulate their ideas with immense clarity. You can't hide behind a few bullet points; you must present your arguments, supporting data, and potential counter-arguments in a cohesive, logical flow.

• Imagine a memo outlining a new investment strategy. Instead of just listing diversification and growth sectors, the memo would delve into the specific asset allocation, the rationale behind each choice, historical performance data, risk mitigation strategies, and potential macroeconomic impacts.

2. Leveling the Playing Field

When everyone reads the same detailed memo, they start from a position of equal information. This democratizes the discussion, ensuring that all participants, regardless of their seniority or previous involvement, have a solid foundation for contributing. It shifts the focus from who presented best to what is the best solution.

• Everyone gets the full picture before the discussion begins, leading to more informed and collaborative decision-making.

3. Engaging the Mind, Not Just the Ears

The silent reading period at the start of the meeting is not idle time. It's an active mental exercise. Attendees are processing information, formulating questions, identifying potential flaws, and considering alternative approaches. This deep engagement leads to more substantive and productive discussions.

4. Capturing Institutional Knowledge

Memos serve as a permanent record of discussions, decisions, and the underlying rationale. This creates a valuable repository of institutional knowledge, accessible for future reference, onboarding new team members, and avoiding redundant discussions.

• A memo detailing the analysis leading to a specific decision can be revisited to understand the historical context of an outcome or to refine future strategies.

5. Shifting from Presentation to Discussion

Once the reading period is over, the meeting naturally transitions into a rich, informed discussion. Questions are targeted, debates are evidence-based, and decisions are made with a clear understanding of the implications. The focus shifts from merely conveying information to collaboratively solving problems and formulating strategy.

• Instead of a presenter walking through slides on market trends, the team can immediately jump into discussing the implications of those trends on their portfolio, specific investment opportunities, or risk exposure, armed with the detailed analysis from the memo.

How it's Used at Amazon: A Culture of Working Backwards

At Amazon, the 6-page memo is not just a meeting format; it's deeply ingrained in their corporate culture and tied to their famous Leadership Principles. Here's a deeper dive into how it functions within the Amazon ecosystem:

• The Study Hall Culture: The 15-30 minute silent reading period at the start of every meeting is a non-negotiable. Bezos himself has emphasized that this study hall ensures everyone is on the same page, preventing scenarios where attendees haven't fully absorbed pre-read materials. This is crucial for critical, high-stakes decisions.
• A Working Backwards Approach: The process of writing a memo at Amazon often aligns with their working backwards philosophy. This means starting with the customer experience and working backward to define the product, service, or strategy. A key element of this is often writing a future press release as part of the memo's genesis, envisioning what the public announcement of the initiative would look like if it were successful. This customer-centric perspective demands a narrative that clearly articulates value and impact.
• Dive Deep in Action: One of Amazon's core Leadership Principles is Dive Deep. The 6-page memo is a direct manifestation of this. It forces authors to go beyond superficial bullet points and truly understand the intricacies of a problem or opportunity. This includes detailed data analysis, identification of underlying assumptions, and a thorough exploration of potential challenges and mitigation strategies. Leaders are expected to operate at all levels, connect to the details, and be skeptical when metrics and anecdotes differ – and the memo provides the vehicle for this level of detail.
• Truth-Seeking, Not Selling: Bezos famously stated that PowerPoint is designed to persuade, while memos are designed to find the truth. At Amazon, the memo is not a sales tool. Its purpose is to present information objectively, allowing for rigorous scrutiny and collaborative truth-seeking. Logical inconsistencies or weak arguments become glaringly obvious when laid out in a narrative format, forcing authors to strengthen their positions with data and solid reasoning.
• Iterative Process: Writing a high-quality 6-page memo at Amazon is rarely a one-shot deal. It's an iterative process that can take weeks. Authors are expected to write and rewrite, share drafts with colleagues for feedback, poke holes in their own arguments, and then revise again with a fresh perspective. This rigorous self-correction and peer review ensures the final document is as robust and comprehensive as possible.
• Ownership and Accountability: The author of a memo at Amazon owns the problem or opportunity. The process of writing the memo and leading the subsequent discussion reinforces a strong sense of ownership (another key Leadership Principle). This encourages individuals to take full responsibility for their proposals and the outcomes.

Structured Content for Consistency

While not a rigid template for every single memo, Amazon memos often adhere to a generally accepted structure that ensures key information is always present. Common sections include:

• Introduction: Briefly introducing the core challenge or opportunity.
• Goals: Clearly stating the objectives and desired outcomes.
• Tenets: Outlining the fundamental principles or values guiding the project.
• State of the Business: A data-driven snapshot of current conditions.
• Lessons Learned: Insights from past experiences, both successes and failures.
• Strategic Priorities: Concrete, actionable tactics to achieve the goals.
• Appendix (optional): For additional data, charts, and in-depth analysis that supports the main narrative without cluttering it.

The Strategic Advantage

Adopting the principles of Bezos's 6-page memo can provide a significant strategic advantage. It shifts meetings from passive presentations to active, collaborative problem-solving sessions, leading to:

• More Robust Financial Strategies: Decisions are based on deeper analysis and shared understanding.
• Enhanced Risk Management: Potential pitfalls are identified and discussed more thoroughly.
• Improved Capital Allocation: Investments are made with greater clarity and conviction.
• Increased Team Alignment: Everyone is truly on the same page, fostering better execution.
• Greater Efficiency: Less time is wasted in clarifying basic information, more time is spent on higher-level strategic thinking.