August 4: 5 stages of Working Backwards at Amazon

The 5 stages of working backwards include listen, define, invent, refine and test & iterate.

Source: Working Backwards
Published: February 2021

5 stages of Working Backwards at Amazon

Stage 1: Listen. 

What do I know about my customer? Whose voices might be missing or excluded?

Stage 2: Define. 

What customer opportunity am I trying to solve? (What data led to this conclusion?)

Stage 3: Invent. 

What is the proposed solution? Why is this the right solution versus other options?

Stage 4: Refine. 

What does the customer experience look like? How would you explain the primary benefit to your customer?

Stage 5: Test & Iterate. 

What does success look like for your idea? What is the intended impact of your solution? What is the possible unintended impact?