Productivity · Framework
Amazon Writing Guidelines Cheat Sheet
Rules for concise, data-driven business memos based on Amazon's internal standards.
A concise framework outlining Amazon-style principles for business writing and memos. It emphasizes eliminating filler phrases, swapping adjectives for concrete data, and answering questions directly. It is designed to make asynchronous documentation clear and efficient for no-meeting and remote teams.
The framework
Tips for Amazon Writers (source: Write Like an Amazonian, published November 2018):
- Use less than 30 words per sentence. 'Due to the fact that' → 'because'; 'Totally lacked the ability to' → 'could not'.
- Replace adjectives with data. 'We made the performance much faster' → 'We reduced server side tp90 latency from 10ms to 1ms'.
- Eliminate weasel words. 'Nearly all customers' → '87% of Prime members'; 'significantly better' → '+25 basis points (ups)'.
- Does your writing pass the 'So what' test?
- If you get a question, reply with one of the four Amazon answers: 1. Yes. 2. No. 3. A number. 4. I don't know (and will follow up when I do).
What it's for
- Draft internal business memos and strategy proposals
- Edit team documentation for asynchronous and remote collaboration
- Replace vague progress updates with measurable metrics
Key points
- Keep sentences under 30 words and trim wordy filler phrases
- Replace vague adjectives and adverbs with hard data and exact metrics
- Eliminate weasel words in favor of specific percentages and measurements
- Apply the 'So what?' test to ensure every point adds relevant context
- Use standard direct responses to questions: Yes, No, a specific number, or 'I don't know (and will follow up)'
Pricing
Free
Details
- Type
- Framework
- Category
- Productivity
- Topic
- Business Writing
- Open source
- No
- Platforms
- other
- For
- Remote workers, founders, managers, and writers aiming for concise business communication
- Tags
- writing, communication, async, remote work, productivity, frameworks
Why it was saved
- @tibo_maker: Concrete, reusable rules for clear written communication — especially valuable for remote, no-meeting teams where written docs carry all context.
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