Name: Amazon VP Shares Why Reorgs Happen And Why The True Reason Is ALWAYS Hidden
Uploaded: 2024-01-01T21:09:13+00:00
Duration: 8 min 54 s
Description: Ethan Evans is a retired Amazon VP who has gone through dozens of re-orgs across his tech career

Amazon VP Shares Why Reorgs Happen And Why The True Reason Is ALWAYS Hidden

[**Ethan Evans**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/) is a retired Amazon VP who has gone through dozens of re-orgs across his tech career. 

Re-orgs (reorganizations of the team structure) happen because at least one leader views something as broken: someone is under-performing, the right teams aren't collaborating, or some other reason which you may not have visibility into as an engineer. 

Once a re-org happens, an effective way to build trust is to schedule time with your new skip level manager and ask what the mission of the team is, and if your work is still aligned to that mission. Ask your manager to setup a meeting if you can't do it on your own. 

Communication challenges: Public announcements about such org changes often use vague language and corporate jargon, making it difficult for individual contributors to understand the true reasons behind them. This lack of transparency can lead to further confusion and distrust.

Legal considerations: Legal constraints limit how much information leaders can publicly disclose about personnel changes. Fear of lawsuits can lead to sanitized messages that obfuscate the real reasons behind decisions.

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Ethan Evans is a retired Amazon VP who has gone through dozens of re-orgs across his tech career

Being a good manager is hard enough already - It's even tougher for engineering. Learn more about this complex craft and how you can land a stellar engineering manager yourself.

Ethan Evans is a retired Amazon Vice President (VP) who now coaches managers to grow into executive roles. He became a manager after only six months in an IC role, at a startup in the 90s. He ascended quickly across several startups before taking a "demotion" to be manager when joining Amazon in 2005. Across 15 years at Amazon, Ethan rose to become a VP, a title he held across multiple orgs. He left Amazon in 2020.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/

Rahul has worked at Kosei, Pinterest, and Meta where he was a tech lead and manager. He's now building Taro, empowering engineers to have more effective and fulfilling careers. You may know him from his 75,000+ subscriber YouTube channel.

Lessons From The Top: Managing And Growing 800 People (Ethan Evans)

[**Ethan Evans**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/) is a retired Amazon VP who now teaches managers how to break into executive levels. He was at Amazon for 15 years, and he became a VP in 2013 until he left in 2020. This wide-ranging interview covers many topics:

- Ethan's career trajectory, and how he entered the management path startlingly early.
- How do you know if an IC will be a good manager or not?
- What are the common reasons why managers fail to get promoted?
- Why do re-orgs happen, and why is there so much corporate speak?
- What should you look for in a leader?
- How are the senior-most engineers evaluated?
- Why did Ethan leave Amazon to become a full-time teacher?

Ethan shares valuable insights for anyone interested in management or career development.

**Key insights:**

- **Why did Ethan choose management so early?** He was drawn to it because that was the need from his team and his managers supported his decision.
- **What skills helped Ethan ascend quickly in startups?** High-growth environments provided opportunities, but Ethan capitalized on them by actively seeking problems to solve and proposing solutions. He took initiative and wasn't afraid to ask for more responsibility.
- **What advice does Ethan have for others?** Be proactive, identify problems, and offer solutions. Don't be afraid to step up and make the ask to your leadership team. "*Do good work and hope*" is not an effective strategy.
- **Careers are long**. Ethan was a "fake" startup VP before going getting downleveled as a manager at Amazon, and it took years for him to return to a true VP role, managing a team of 800 people.

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