Leaving AWS

“You really think I could be successful at Amazon after a decade of startup life?” That was the question swirling in my head when my good friend Nelson Chan sent me a link to a job posting for AWS in Singapore. He added in his message that “I can see you in the role.”

I was skeptical. While I was grateful for the consideration, I enjoyed the freedom of being in startups. What could a big enterprise tech company like AWS possibly offer?

Funny enough, over a decade ago, I never would have thought to go into startups. I had been working in more established companies doing software engineering and sales. I worked my way up to progressively more senior roles, better salary, and greater visibility.

Eventually my desire for more money and seniority led me Oracle. There was the promise of autonomy, authority, and impact. Instead I walked into a soulless machine of a bureaucracy that crushed all joy from my professional life.

Every tiny thing was a chore. Deal reviews for even the most minimal revenue opportunity took forever and elicited endless questions. Every decision was second-guessed. Every email was an ongoing chain of CYA (“cover your ass") replies and avoiding ownership. Meetings required a busload of people that added nothing to the agenda.

Then there was the endless chorus of “no”. Customers often asked me about getting more value out of their investment in Oracle. Out of these conversations emerged many ideas, from tactical and immediate to highly innovative and long-term. When I brought these back to my leadership, I would be met with “that’s not what we do”.

That was when I made the leap into the startup world. I had a rocky experience, but it also accelerated my learning and my perspective in ways I could have never done otherwise in a corporate role. I thoroughly loved it and never looked back, until Nelson shared with me the opportunity to be one of the Startup Advocates at AWS.

Curious about what Nelson saw in AWS, I decided to dive deeper. What I discovered during the interview process and speaking with friends familiar with AWS was a very different company than I imagined. Despite the massive success of AWS, they still managed to keep things humble, while delivering results and staying focused on the customer. When I got the offer, I eagerly took the leap to join the corporate world again.

But now it is time to say goodbye to AWS.

Yes, the guy that is posting selfies at events with startup founders from around the globe, that speaks passionately about why startups should build on AWS, and who tirelessly creates content to help founders and builders succeed in the cloud and AI, is saying goodbye.

Why leave and why now? After four years and a few months, it is simply the right time to step off the Amazon rollercoaster. And it was indeed a rollercoaster, joining during COVID, pivoting to stay in the US as I could not move to Singapore for my role, being the only Advocate for a year to cover startups globally, and navigating the web3 crash & startup funding winter.

I loved the impact, speed, and energy of being at AWS. It felt like being in a startup that just happens to be a giant ass global company. Even in the most hectic, chaotic, and exhausting of moments (and there were plenty of those), I knew that the work I was doing with my AWS Startups colleagues was making a difference for founders and startups. I honestly did not think I would leave as I genuinely enjoyed the ride.

At the beginning of each year, I take time to reflect on the past year and peer into the future. It is my way of recalibrating and adjusting course to align with my long-term vision. When I did this exercise at the beginning of this year, I noticed three shifts happening; two external shifts and one deeply personal.

First, the startup world has experienced a radical reset in expectations. What we have seen in the massive run up with funding activity and valuations from 2020 to 2022 fueled by ZIRP (zero interest rate period) is over. While the rise of Generative AI startups is muting negative impact, funding beyond seed stage has become much harder to attain. Many startups funded during ZIRP are now out of money and shutting down. The unicorns that have survived have taken heavy valuation cuts and have no exit path in sight as the IPO market is soft and larger acquisitions are being heavily scrutinized. As a result, VC’s are struggling to show favorable returns to their LP’s and unable to raise new funds.

The new playbook for startups is building a sustainable business model and achieving profitable growth. With greater operational and financial discipline, startups are running leaner and smarter. The rapid growth of Generative AI has also enabled founders of all backgrounds to build, launch, and test startup ideas faster. While funding is still tight, startups launching now and over the next few years will be much better positioned for long-term growth, positive exit outcomes, and wealth creation.

Second, Amazon, and specifically AWS, is a fundamentally different company from when it first launched. Growing from zero in 2006 to $40 billion when I joined to $100 billion over the course of 18 years is mind-blowing to think about. But the shift from rocket ship growth to moderate growth shook the entire company, leading to layoffs, a series of reorgs, and multiple service deprecations. The result is a company that is leaner, focused, and more intentional about its investments.

However, AWS is still heavily weighed down by its immense size and scope. Andy Jassy mentioned in his recent culture memo that he wants Amazon to be the "world’s largest startup". This will be a challenge as AWS is more process-driven, bureaucratic, political, and slow when compared to actual startups. While AWS was scrappy and fast several years ago, there is nothing startup-like about the AWS of 2024.

Third, I have had a unique professional journey given all the companies I have worked at and roles I have taken. AWS has continued that journey and given me a crash course in cloud, AI & global startup ecosystems. I could not have predicted in March 2020 when I accepted the offer what I would have learned, what I would build from scratch (including the AWS Startups Show on Clubhouse and Founders in the Cloud), and how I would grow. I am sincerely thankful to the many people I have met and collaborated with at Amazon.

While there is always more to do at AWS, I was always drawn to startups and the desire to build my own thing. With the advances in AI and the global reset of the startup ecosystem, today has never been better to launch a startup. This got me actively thinking of ideas to develop earlier this year, and now is the right time to take the leap. I plan to share more in the next several weeks and excited to share more about an idea I have been super excited about!

In the meantime, I am using my time directly post-AWS to finish up a few projects. I am completing the 2^nd edition of my book Community-in-a-Box and publishing next month. This newsletter will also continue, but now with more on the ground experience as I build out my own startup and share those experiences with you. Lastly, I am still speaking at events and advising startup founders at least for the next couple of months.

If there is one regret I have as I move on from Amazon, it’s leaving a company with some of the most talented people I have had the privilege to work with. It is the people that make the company and culture. But as the Bon Jovi song goes, you never say goodbye!

And if you are curious about my startup, glad to chat one-on-one 😁

Mark Birch

This has been a heavy week, so keeping the newsletter short. But I wanted to share that I am back in Southeast Asia right now until Sept 30. By the time you read this, I would have left Saigon and heading to Singapore for the Network State Conference. Then I travel to Taipei on Tuesday to attend several events including Taiwan DIgital Night and the Meet Pacific conference in Hualien. If you are in either location during my travels, let's meet up!