Episode 650

full
Published on:

3rd Sep 2025

What Amazon Knows About Scaling (That You Don’t) with John Rossman

What Can You Learn About Scaling from the Very Early Days of Amazon?

In this episode, Bill sits down with John Rossman, former Amazon executive, author, and expert in leadership strategy, to uncover the secrets behind Amazon’s remarkable scalability. From launching the Amazon Marketplace in 2002 to writing The Amazon Way, John shares leadership lessons and operational principles that any business can adopt. This conversation is a masterclass in customer obsession, high standards, and building mechanisms that scale.


Topics explored in this episode:


(02:00) Playing Bigger is Actually Safer

*How John Rossman went from traditional consulting to shaping one of Amazon’s most successful platforms.

*The unique operating tempo and mindset inside Amazon.

*Why high standards are scalable, and low standards are not.


(11:20) Scaling Is Just a Series of Experiments

*You never want to have all your eggs in one basket. 

*If you’re trying to juice your business for -today’s profitability-, you’re setting yourself up for a big risk. 

*After being let down by Fedex during the holidays, Amazon knew they had to take their delivery network in-house. 


(19:00) Stay in the Problem-Solving Headspace a Little Longer

*Find small ways to test solutions to big customer problems. 

*Don’t go all-in or spend big $$ on customer problems without testing the available options. 

*Study history and past patterns from other companies to understand how problems get solved in a smart way.  


(31:15) Reinventing the Business Model: The Amazon Way

*John shares examples of Fortune 500 companies and how they failed to scale. 

*How Amazon out-thought competitors with better models, not bigger teams.

*The mindset shift leaders must make to scale.


(39:15) Leadership Isn’t a Trait. It’s a System.

*Don’t wait for a profit decline. Amazon doesn’t.

*Don’t leave your leadership up to chance.

*How to build culture by design, not by accident.


Thanks to John Rossman for being on the show!


Learn more about The Amazon Way: https://the-amazon-way.com/

Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rossman/


Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

 

Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop 


Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall


Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach 


Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. 



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About the Podcast

Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher
Do you dream of an easier way to scale and grow your business? Do you wish you didn’t have to work so hard and put in as many hours? Do you find growth too slow, or hard to sustain?

This podcast—Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher—can help you achieve and maintain the growth you want.

A message from your host: “I’ve been in your shoes as a founder, CEO, and executive leader. I’ve coached and trained many leaders just like you over more than 15 years to grow their businesses successfully and profitably. But more than that, I’ve helped give them their time and sanity back. My core strength is making the growth process easier, faster, and way more fun.”

A dynamic thought leader, Bill talks with fascinating and brilliant guests each week, including visionary CEOs, trailblazing entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, renowned business strategists, and more.

Broadly, each episode focuses on one of the four major decision areas every entrepreneur and company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. More specifically, the show explores topics such as:

* Business Growth & Scaling.
* Customer Experience & Marketing.
* Innovation & Differentiation.
* Leadership Development.
* Delegation & Accountability.
* Vision & Strategy.
* Team Dynamics.
* Hiring & Talent Management.
* Company Culture.
* Employee Engagement.
* Crisis Management.
* Effective Communication.
* Influence & Persuasion.
* Business Strategies.

Running a business is ultimately about freedom. Subscribe to this podcast to learn how leaders like you can get your organizations moving in sync, create something significant, and still enjoy the ride. Subscribe if you want to elevate your business to unprecedented heights by tuning in to a masterclass in business excellence.

For information on Bill Gallagher’s coaching and training programs, and Scaling Up Workshops, visit www.ScalingCoach.com

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William Gallagher