Since 2013, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with Amazon on more than 75 engagements across multiple teams and business units.
Each project brought its own goals, challenges, and constraints. No two looked the same. Through those experiences, we sharpened our approach and adopted a product design mindset that’s as close to a startup as you can get, but applied at Amazon scale. It pushed us to focus on delivering the highest value in the most efficient way possible.
That discipline refined how we think, how we operate, and how we deliver for every client we serve today.
Thriving in Complexity
Working with Amazon taught us how to succeed in ambiguity.
Every engagement came with aggressive timelines, shifting priorities, and massive downstream impact. We had to learn how to quickly understand context, align diverse stakeholders, and design solutions that worked at scale.
That ability to cut through noise, find clarity, and deliver outcomes under pressure is now one of our greatest strengths, and something we bring to every client relationship.
Raising Our Standards
One of the most important lessons we absorbed was that “good enough” isn’t good enough.
Amazon’s culture of customer obsession and high expectations pushed us to refine our approach. We sharpened our UX strategy frameworks, built discipline around rapid prototyping and validation, and focused relentlessly on impact over output.
Those practices didn’t stay at Amazon. They became part of UpTop’s DNA; shaping how we deliver results for organizations of every size.
Lessons That Transfer Everywhere
The insights we’ve gained at Amazon translate directly to the work we do with all clients.
For example, our approach to stakeholder alignment – clarifying priorities early and creating a shared vision helps mid-market clients cut through silos and build momentum. Our discipline around designing for scale ensures that digital solutions not only solve today’s challenges but also support tomorrow’s growth. Our lean research approach allows us to quickly capture insights and feedback, iterate with confidence, and validate design decisions; ultimately accelerating speed to market.
In short, the Amazon experience gave us tools and perspectives that make us more effective partners for any organization navigating digital modernization and transformation.
Building Confidence and Perspective
Working with Amazon on more than 75 projects gave us confidence in our ability to deliver impact inside one of the world’s most complex enterprises; a confidence that now differentiates how we approach every client’s challenges. At the same time, humility and collaboration remain core to who we are, and clients feel this in the way we partner with them.
What’s more, Amazon teams operate less like a large-enterprise bureaucracy and more like fast-moving growth businesses; customer-obsessed, action-oriented, and quick to adapt. Those qualities align closely with how we work and continue to shape the way we deliver value beyond Amazon.
The Amazon Effect
Looking back, we’re grateful for the ways Amazon challenged us. Those 75+ engagements pushed us to move faster, think bigger, and deliver with greater rigor. The lessons we learned there continue to ripple outward in every engagement we take on. The truth is simple: working with Amazon didn’t just make us better for Amazon. It made us better for everyone.
Whether we’re helping a mid-market company modernize its tools or guiding an enterprise through digital transformation, our clients benefit from what we call the Amazon Effect. Let’s connect.
