There is no doubt that Amazon is an extremely successful company. Among the unique elements that characterize Amazon’s culture and processes, one stands out as particularly interesting, valuable, and applicable to various sectors—including medical device companies.
The methodology I’m referring to is called Working Backwards.
In today’s post, I’d like to explain what Working Backwards is, its advantages, and how it can be applied to the medical device environment.
Amazon’s Working Backwards Method
The Amazon Working Backwards method is a systematic approach to identifying and validating customer needs before developing a new product or service.
If you’re interested in tools for collecting customer insights in MedTech, please refer to my previous articles on interviews, Voice of the Customer (VOC), and ethnography.
Working Backwards involves starting by defining the ideal customer experience, then iteratively working in reverse from that point until the product team reaches consensus and clarity on the product vision.
Key Elements of Working Backwards
The core components of this process include:
- The Customer: The starting point is a deep understanding of the customer’s needs, pains, gains, and desires. Once these are gathered, you define the customer experience you aim to deliver.
- Define the Final Outcomes: The guiding vision of the project is the desired outcomes for both the customer and the company.
- Work Backwards: Identify the necessary steps and components by starting from the end goal and tracing back to the present.
- Iterations: The process is characterized by continuous prioritization, measurement, learning, and adaptation.
Tools of the Working Backwards Method
The two primary tools of the Working Backwards method are the Press Release (PR) and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.
The Press Release outlines the customer needs, along with the product’s features and benefits. The FAQ anticipates potential questions from future customers, but it is primarily intended for internal stakeholders and decision-makers.
These documents serve as the foundation for the iterative development process and are reviewed by management to guide decision-making.
This process has two key strengths:
- The team must begin with the customers and their needs in order to prepare the PR and FAQ. Innovation is rooted in customer insight.
- It compels Amazon employees to adopt a customer-centric mindset and embody the company’s first leadership principle: “Customer Obsession.” This principle becomes embedded in the company culture.
What Are the Benefits of Working Backwards?
- Customer Centricity: The method ensures that the product is developed based on real customer needs and desires. Since the documents are written with the customer in mind, they bring the customer’s perspective to every stakeholder involved.
- Innovation: It encourages teams to identify unmet needs and think creatively about how to address them.
- Alignment: The process and its tools foster alignment across all departments involved in the project.
- Clarity: Working Backwards provides clear project goals and a shared sense of purpose for both team members and management.
- Source of Information: The PR and FAQ form the basis of user requirements and product specifications, helping teams avoid implementing features that don’t add value.
- Flexibility: Teams can adapt and refine the value proposition as they learn more. The quality of the PR is often a strong indicator of a product’s potential. If it’s difficult to write or lacks clarity, the product is likely to fail—allowing the team to pivot or halt the project early.
Why Use the Amazon Working Backwards Process in MedTech?
Although Amazon differs significantly from most MedTech companies—which are often small to mid-sized—I firmly believe that the core principles of Working Backwards are highly applicable to our industry.
The process is not simple, and its implementation requires a significant investment. However, as many Amazonians would agree (and I do too), it’s far better to invest time and effort upfront to define the product and uncover potential flaws early.
The risk of developing a product only to later discover it needs major revisions is far more costly and time-consuming.
Moreover, this method was the foundation for the development of Kindle, Prime, and AWS—some of Amazon’s most successful products.
By applying the principles of Working Backwards, MedTech companies can:
Develop Better Products
With clearly defined needs, target customers, and business rationale, solutions become more focused on what truly matters. Projects or features lacking solid customer data—those based on intuition or emotion—are more easily identified and challenged.
Develop Commercially Successful Products
The press release is designed to be a concise statement that clearly articulates the need, the target customer, and why the product should excite them. If these elements are well addressed, commercial success becomes highly probable.
Increase Product Development Efficiency
Spending more time at the beginning of the project, filtering out low-value ideas early, and reducing rework later helps maximize speed and efficiency. One of the greatest benefits of Working Backwards is its ability to generate and evaluate ideas effectively.
Final Thoughts
“We innovate by starting with the customer and working backwards. That becomes the touchstone for how we invent.”
Jeff Bezos
The Working Backwards methodology has enabled Amazon to develop some of its most iconic products.
In my view, it’s an excellent methodology—but what truly matters is the principle behind it.
The idea of starting from the customer’s needs and then working backwards through an iterative process is the most powerful element.
As I’ve mentioned before, when drawing inspiration from other industries, the focus should be on principles—not just practices or tools.
What do you think about the Working Backwards method? Do you believe it’s applicable to the MedTech industry? Let me know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe or connect with me on LinkedIn.