Amazon Principal Engineering Community Tenets

A set of vocabulary terms and definitions based on the core tenets guiding Amazon's Principal Engineering community.

Tenets

A key part of Amazon’s peculiar culture helping bring Amazonians together, focused on achieving the mission and vision to be Earth’s most customer-centric company.

Exemplary practitioner

Hands-on leaders who deliver artifacts that set the standard for engineering excellence, from designs to algorithms to implementations, remaining close to details to earn respect as technical leaders.

Technically fearless

The practice of tackling intrinsically hard problems and venturing beyond comfortable approaches, pioneering new spaces and acquiring expertise as needed without the luxury of conservatism.

Lead with empathy

Shaping an inclusive engineering culture where others are heard, respected, and empowered, while taking responsibility for the impact of one's words and demeanor on others.

Balanced and pragmatic

Pragmatic problem solvers who apply judgment and experience to balance trade-offs between competing interests while advocating for a long-term view.

Illuminate and clarify

Bringing clarity to complexity by framing problems in their customer and business context, probing assumptions, and driving crisp and timely decisions.

Flexible in approach

Adapting to the needs of the team, project, and product by soliciting differing views, being willing to change minds, and recognizing that sometimes the best solution is to solve a different problem.

Respect what came before

Being grateful to predecessors and appreciating the value of working systems and the lessons they embody, acknowledging that many problems are not essentially new.

Learn, educate, and advocate

Constantly seeking technical knowledge and educating the organization about trends and technologies to drive fruitful and game-changing technology choices.

Have resounding impact

Making a lasting impact that echoes through the technology, product, and company by aligning teams toward coherent architectural strategies, going beyond the basic bar of 'Deliver Results.'