Big Technology Podcast How Amazon Automated My Job: A Conversation With Elaine Kwon
Apr 14, 2021
Elaine Kwon, co-founder of Quantify and former Amazon vendor manager, shares her firsthand experience with Amazon's automation program, "Hands Off the Wheel." She discusses the transformation of vendor management, the challenges faced as human oversight diminished, and the implications for the workforce. Elaine highlights how automation shifts profitability dynamics and the need for adaptability in an evolving retail landscape. She also addresses broader concerns about the human impact of technology on e-commerce, urging a balance between efficiency and meaningful work.
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Hands Off the Wheel at Amazon
- Elaine Kwon, a vendor manager at Amazon, witnessed the automation of her job through a program called "Hands Off the Wheel".
- This program aimed to transition tasks previously done by humans to machine learning algorithms.
Vendor Manager Role Conflict
- The vendor manager role at Amazon was initially a hybrid of traditional buying and Amazon's "everything store" approach.
- This created internal conflict as the focus shifted from curated buying to stocking everything and letting customer demand dictate sales.
Shift to Profitability
- Amazon's initial strategy was to prioritize selection over profitability, aiming to become the best e-commerce site.
- This strategy shifted in 2016 towards profitability due to the increasing costs of holding unsold inventory.