Rachel Bishop’s Post

As we continue to iterate on our automated risks feature, incident reports have been an interesting learning source. Klarna has a transparent one on a CDN config update that led to data exposure: ➖ This change was written by an authorised engineer who had consulted but misinterpreted vendor documentation. ➖ It was reviewed by three other authorised engineers in three separate teams. None of them spotted the mistake in the config update. ➖ Automated tests did not cover verifying the cache config. The config change was an unintended side effect and part of a larger change. As often happens, the response was to implement additional processes, monitoring and anomaly detection. So that if it happens again, you can react quicker. But what if you could stop these from hitting production? With Overmind's risks you can surface incident-causing config changes as part of your pull request. Using current application config instead of tribal knowledge or outdated docs. In Klarna's case, we can't say for certain as we don’t know the specifics however below is an example from playing around in testing. If you've experienced something similar we'd love to chat, learn more and see if we could have helped. #devops #outage #sre #aws

I can't stress enough the importance of customer obsession and working backward from it. This is indeed reminiscent of Amazon's method for product development. If you're not familiar with this approach, allow me to explain: The Amazon Method prioritizes understanding your customers' needs before developing any new product or feature. By 'working backwards,' we mean starting with the desired customer experience and then figuring out how to achieve that. Before embarking on a new project or creating a ground-breaking tool, have you ever tried using this method? In my experience, it has proven highly effective in ensuring our products resonate well with users and meet their expectations right off the bat. This approach minimizes wasted resources by preventing unnecessary iterations and changes down the line - because we've already anticipated what our customers want before even starting development. So yes, echoing these words repeatedly may seem like overkill but they are fundamental principles that should guide every step of your innovation process. Always be obsessed with offering value to your customers and work backward from there – that's my advice based on years of successful ventures in software development!

As a Magento Certified Developer & e-commerce enthusiast, I find Loan Laux's insights into the state of headless commerce in 2024 both enlightening and invaluable. His deep understanding of the evolving landscape and the nuanced analysis of various platforms and frameworks provide a clear roadmap for businesses navigating this transformative journey. I particularly appreciate his emphasis on the importance of flexibility, adaptability, and the seamless integration of storefronts with backend systems. Laux's expertise shines through, offering practical guidance that resonates with developers and merchants alike. Overall, this is a compelling read for anyone invested in the future of e-commerce. #magentodeveloper #magento2 #headlesscommerce #progressivewebapps

Customer-centricity is a full-time job. Every company is customer-centric at least some of the time, but that doesn't constitute true customer-centricity. It's a full-time job — a true commitment, a calling, a way of operating. Here's what it looks like. In 2002, in the wake of the .com crash, Amazon introduced a tier of free shipping. That's what #customercentricity looks like. You're facing unparalleled levels of adversity, but yet you still put the customer first because you philosophically and fundamentally believe what’s best for the customer is best for you in the long-term. Customer-centricity separates the best from the rest, particularly these days given the rapid decline in CSAT over the past 5 years. How do you serve your customers in the face of adversity?

When Technology becomes too expensive to remain as a Technology! Amazon Go: At first sight, it was a seamless artificial intelligence-powered experience, but the dream of full automation was an illusion. Behind the scenes, the system reportedly relied on over 1,000 humans who acted as remote cashiers. The system also stumbled on practical challenges, proving too slow and expensive to implement. Outsourced cashiers took hours to process data, delaying receipts for customers. Critics also raised concerns about privacy, as Amazon collected sensitive data on in-store behavior. Retail is a social phenomena and will always be better with PEOPLE! FRDC ~ Future Research Design Company #retailstore #retaildesign #technology #humancentereddesign

AMAZON’S APPROACH TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Amazon has a unique approach when it comes to forming a domain vision statement called working backwards (see: https://lnkd.in/dJB6FQWR). For new enhancements, a product manager produces an internal press release announcing the finished product, listing the benefits the feature brings. If the intended customer doesn’t feel the benefits are exciting or worthwhile, the product manager refactors the press release until the feature offers real value for the customer. At all times, Amazon is focused on the customer and is clear about the advantage a new feature can bring before it sets out with development. Patterns, Principles and practices of Domain Driven Design Scott Millett and Nick Tune

Perhaps we should consider product development methods similar to those employed by Amazon? Are you seeking a robust approach to elevate your product development? Picture this: receiving eloquent letters from satisfied customers, describing how your innovative product positively impacts their daily lives. This technique, endorsed by industry leaders such as Amazon and Nordstrom, encourages your product and creative teams to immerse themselves in the customer's perspective. Craft hypothetical letters where customers eloquently describe how your product becomes an indispensable part of their lives and routines. It serves as a litmus test, differentiating between superficial features and genuinely transformative benefits. 🤔 Struggling to create a compelling letter? It might signal the need for a product reassessment. Remember, it's not merely about the quantity of features; it's about delivering value that fundamentally improves lives. #ProductDevelopment #CustomerCentricity #Innovation #Amazon

I don't know what's wrong with Amazon order return pickup service. When a user mentioned that some part of the product is missing or received a fake or wrong product while raising a return request, why does the pickup up service need a product verification? Isn't it very obvious, that for the above mentioned 2 situations the verification will fail? It looks like there is a shortage of human resources in company, so the background logic of every return type is programmed as the same. My humble request to the concerned team of Amazon , to look into the matter and resolve it. Otherwise once the pickup fails, the user will definitely raise another request without verification using the customer service, which leads to more call or chat requests to Customer helpline. Just a small request from a customer cum backend engineer to Amazon . I hope this post will reach the concerned authorities

Henry Ford once said: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse” 🤔 This illustrates the idea that sometimes our purpose is to take humanity to new places, places they can’t yet see for themselves. 🐯 Customer obsession is very common as modeled to the extreme by Amazon, PnP, Apple, Airbnb, Uber, and the list goes on... And it’s needed. 🐴 To ignore the customer or lose sight of their needs, as many large corporate teams have, is deadly. But simply making the customer our purpose is also dangerous. If we act on customer feedback without judgment, we run the risk of regressing to the mean, to our basest tendencies, as per the Henry Ford statement above. 1️⃣ Our customers are a proxy for our purpose. 2️⃣ They’re our partners in solving the tension between our virtuous intent and their actual needs... ⁉ How do you balance what your customer needs, how do you satisfy these needs and how are you balancing your organisational purpose?