Some of the Greatest Executive Memos Ever
I love a good business memo. Here are some of my favorites.
The Essential Reading List
📈 Jeff Bezos' 1997 Amazon Shareholder Letter
The foundational document establishing customer obsession over short-term profits. Bezos attached this to EVERY subsequent letter because it perfectly captured Amazon's "Day 1" mentality.
Read it here
🚀 Bezos' 2016 "Day 1" Letter
Strategic masterpiece warning against corporate stagnation. Introduced "disagree and commit" and the 70% decision rule. Blueprint for maintaining startup agility at massive scale.
Read it here
⚡ Amazon's API Mandate (2002)
Internal memo requiring all teams to expose functionality through APIs. Accidentally created the foundation for AWS - now a $90B cloud computing giant. Architecture decisions have consequences.
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🌊 Bill Gates' "Internet Tidal Wave" (1995)
Gates declared the internet "the most important development since the IBM PC" and predicted nearly every trend Microsoft would face. Catalyzed their transformation from PC-centric to internet-focused.
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🎵 Daniel Ek's Spotify Layoff Memo (2023)
Direct acknowledgment of over-hiring and having "too many people doing work around the work." Shows how modern leaders navigate post-pandemic reality.
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📰 Amazon's Working Backwards/PR-FAQ
Revolutionary product development starting with a press release BEFORE any development. Forces customer-centric thinking and prevents feature creep.
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💰 Warren Buffett's Partnership Letters (1957-1970)
Before Berkshire Hathaway, these letters established Buffett's value investing philosophy and principles that made him history's most successful investor.
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⚠️ Andrew Bosworth's "The Ugly" (2016)
Facebook VP's controversial defense of growth-at-any-cost, arguing connecting people was "de facto good" even if it enabled harm. Exposed Silicon Valley's ethical blind spots.
Read it here
🔥 Stephen Elop's "Burning Platform" (2011)
Nokia CEO's dramatic memo comparing the company to a man on a burning oil platform. Masterclass in crisis communication, even if the Windows Phone strategy ultimately failed.
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🔄 Dara Khosrowshahi's Uber Transformation (2017)
New CEO shifted scandal-plagued Uber from "move fast and break things" to "do the right thing." One of tech's most dramatic cultural transformations.
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💔 Brian Chesky's COVID Layoff Letter (2020)
Gold standard for compassionate crisis communication. 3,374 words transparently explaining 25% layoffs while providing exceptional support. Ended with "I have deep love for all of you."
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🎯 Google Founders' IPO Letter (2004)
Page and Brin declared Google an "unconventional company" prioritizing long-term thinking over quarterly earnings. Legitimized "moonshot" thinking across Silicon Valley.
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☁️ Ray Ozzie's "Internet Services Disruption" (2005)
Microsoft CTO outlined the urgent shift to cloud services. Directly led to Azure and Office 365. Microsoft's second major strategic pivot captured in one prescient memo.
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💥 Steve Jobs' "Thoughts on Flash" (2010)
Rare public memo explaining why Apple banned Flash from iOS. Accelerated Flash's death and HTML5's adoption. Shows how internal strategy can reshape industry standards.
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🏆 Netflix Culture Deck (2009)
125 slides that revolutionized corporate culture thinking. Introduced the "keeper test" and treating companies like sports teams, not families. Viewed 20M+ times, called "the most important document from Silicon Valley."
Read it here
