The Peterman Pod Amazon VP On Promotions, Getting Fired Twice, Working With Bezos | Ethan Evans
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Aug 1, 2025 
Ethan Evans, an Amazon VP with a remarkable journey from being fired twice to leading over 800 engineers, shares key lessons from his career. He discusses the importance of soft skills and how they shaped his promotions at Amazon. Insightful tales about working with Jeff Bezos and Andy Jassy reveal contrasting leadership styles. He also dives into Amazon's performance management practices, including stack ranking and the complexities of performance reviews, offering valuable advice for aspiring leaders and reflections for his younger self.
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Fired Twice for Abrasiveness
- Ethan Evans was fired twice in startups due to his abrasive behavior and conflicts.
- Each layoff taught him to reflect on his own role and prompted personal change.
Master Soft Skills Early
- Develop soft skills like listening and asking questions to replace confrontational arguing.
- Use "strategic annoyance" to push ideas effectively without burning bridges.
Build Alliances, Not Enemies
- Build alliances with others beyond those you disagree with to avoid isolation.
- Relationships and perceptions matter as much as being right in engineering roles.