Kristi Coulter, an ex-Amazonian and author of the memoir Exit Interview, takes us deep into the cult-like atmosphere at Amazon. She shares her firsthand experience of the intense pressure and psychological influence that the company exerts on both employees and consumers. Kristi explores the duality of love-hate relationships with Amazon, reflecting on ethical dilemmas surrounding worker treatment. The conversation dives into the broader implications of capitalism and the urgent need for corporate accountability in today's fast-paced consumer culture.
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Kristi's Amazon Journey
Kristi Coulter worked at Amazon for 12 years, an unusually long tenure.
She held various roles, from merchandising to leadership development, reinventing herself within the company.
insights INSIGHT
Culture of Inadequacy
Amazon's culture thrives on fear and a constant feeling of inadequacy, even among high-achieving employees.
This creates a cult-like environment where workers strive for unattainable standards.
insights INSIGHT
Leadership Principles as Dogma
Amazon's leadership principles, like "have backbone; disagree and commit," become ingrained in employees' lives.
These principles, while seemingly positive, can create a rigid and dogmatic environment.
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Welcome baaaAAAAaaaAAaack, culties!! Time to *ascend* to the 2024 era of Sounds Like A Cult 👽 Kicking off with a damn bang—the most colossal cult we’ve ever covered (as in ~1.5 million employees and 310 million users colossal). It's the multi-pronged monster of convenience, which spares no one, no matter the cost… you guessed it, Amazon. Duh, we know, Amazon is a cult—from its notorious treatment of factory workers to its uncanny world-domination energy to its “never leave us” messaging, it’s obvious. But is Amazon a LYL, a WYB, or a GTFO-level cult? And is the verdict the same for both employees and consumers? To unpack this gazillion-dollar organization (religion?) from the inside, please welcome special guest Kristi Coulter, an ex-Amazonian who spent 12 years in the cult… I mean, *company*… before defecting to write her new tell-all memoir, Exit Interview. It’s one of our juiciest conversations in SLAC history and we hope you enjoy it!! Thanks to all the listeners who leant their voice messages to this episode.
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Sounds Like A Cult