Backwards into the brand
Amazon has always had a refreshing brand clarity about its offerings, and now I’ve found one reason why. In its software 
products and services, at least, Amazon builds brand clarity into its offerings by doing things backwards.
Yes, gloriously backwards, although in the Amazon context that means working backwards from the customer to the development task, before developers write code. In this process, key issues affecting the brand deliverable rise to the surface, where they can be fully addressed in the concept and design phase.
“Working backwards” at Amazon
I know this because “working backwards” is the process that Amazon CTO Werner Vogels has established for his software development teams to follow. In his words:
To ensure that a service meets the needs of the customer (and not more than that) we use a process called “Working Backwards” in which you start with your customer and work your way backwards until you get to the minimum set of technology requirements to satisfy what you try to achieve. The goal is to drive simplicity through a continuous, explicit customer focus.
Werner doesn’t mention “brand” in his description, but the Amazon process is actually brand building from the inside out. The goal of a brand is “to put the customer inside the product.” The Amazon process does exactly that, building brand value in at the core.
Amazon’s “backwards” steps
Here are Amazon’s key “backwards” steps for software development. They’re fairly counterintuitive for developers:
- Start by writing the press release
- Write a Frequently Asked Questions document
- Define the customer experience
- Write the user manual
Be sure to read Werner’s account of how the development team approaches each of these tasks. When these steps are completed, the real code crunching begins.
To me, taking these steps at project initiation means the project team is building a solid brand foundation.