Backwards Works Better

Ever notice how we explain everything before asking for what we want?

Amazon figured this out in 2004. They banned all PowerPoint presentations. Instead, before building any new product, teams write a fake press release. Just one page. Announcing the thing like it already exists.

No context. No buildup. Just: "Here's what we made and why you'll love it."

Then they figure out how to build it.

We do the opposite. We explain the history, the research, the methodology, the risks, the timeline—then finally, buried on slide 47, we mention what we actually need.

Your audience checked out at slide 12.

The surprise? When you start with the ask, people actually listen to the explanation.

Amazon calls it "Working Backwards." Start with what success looks like. Then work backwards to how you'll get there.

Your best ideas die in committee rooms, suffocated by context.

Press release first. PowerPoint never.