<story><title>Flexport CEO resigns a year after joining logistics company</title><url>https://www.geekwire.com/2023/former-amazon-exec-dave-clark-resigns-as-flexport-ceo-a-year-after-joining-logistics-company/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>TX81Z</author><text>So many people in leadership at top companies just won the start-up lottery as a junior employee and had the internal drive to get promo at all costs to gradually get to the top. As soon as they leave the bubble it’s clear how few real skills they possess.&lt;p&gt;Likewise, the degree to which Director+ jobs just hire based on current title at a competitor alone is bonkers.  I’ve worked under people who are utterly clueless but managed to make VP at the place up the street. So they just get to be a VP at the next place.</text></item><item><author>throwaway5959</author><text>“The only place I&amp;#x27;ve really worked in my life is Amazon. And so I didn&amp;#x27;t get out much.”&lt;p&gt;Hard pass.</text></item><item><author>scrum-treats</author><text>Additional information on Dave Clark&amp;#x27;s impact:&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Some Flexport insiders say layoffs and an influx of former Amazon leaders are wrecking morale.&amp;quot;[1]&lt;p&gt;&amp;#x27;&amp;quot;These people do not have conversations — they make demands,&amp;quot; one laid-off employee said. Unsatisfactory answers could be met with harsh feedback, sources said.&lt;p&gt;One laid-off Flexporter said an Amazon veteran told them, &amp;quot;I don&amp;#x27;t believe a word you&amp;#x27;re saying,&amp;quot; during a presentation they said took months to prepare.&lt;p&gt;Clark was asked at Tuesday&amp;#x27;s conference whether his Amazon hires meant he wanted to change Flexport&amp;#x27;s culture.&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The only place I&amp;#x27;ve really worked in my life is Amazon. And so I didn&amp;#x27;t get out much. And I worked in supply chain so most of the people I know are Amazon people,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Turns out Amazon&amp;#x27;s pretty good at moving stuff around.&amp;quot;&amp;#x27;&lt;p&gt;See also, the Dave Clark effect at Amazon: 
&amp;quot;Amazon generally delivers later than competitors. That can be terrifying for some of its drivers&amp;quot;[2].&lt;p&gt;[1]&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.businessinsider.com&amp;#x2F;flexport-layoffs-amazon-leaders-change-culture-dave-clark-2023-3?op=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.businessinsider.com&amp;#x2F;flexport-layoffs-amazon-lead...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.cnn.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;21&amp;#x2F;tech&amp;#x2F;amazon-delivery-night&amp;#x2F;index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.cnn.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;21&amp;#x2F;tech&amp;#x2F;amazon-delivery-night&amp;#x2F;in...&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>tyingq</author><text>The key milestones for VP often are&lt;p&gt;- Luck landed them in a leadership spot on a project that was already successful
 or headed that way&lt;p&gt;- They didn&amp;#x27;t do anything to abruptly change that course&lt;p&gt;- They are skilled at managing up with the right words, phrases, actions&lt;p&gt;Then, they move up in the chain they are already in, where everything is very familiar.  Goes well enough until they move outside that bubble.</text></comment>
<story><title>Flexport CEO resigns a year after joining logistics company</title><url>https://www.geekwire.com/2023/former-amazon-exec-dave-clark-resigns-as-flexport-ceo-a-year-after-joining-logistics-company/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>TX81Z</author><text>So many people in leadership at top companies just won the start-up lottery as a junior employee and had the internal drive to get promo at all costs to gradually get to the top. As soon as they leave the bubble it’s clear how few real skills they possess.&lt;p&gt;Likewise, the degree to which Director+ jobs just hire based on current title at a competitor alone is bonkers.  I’ve worked under people who are utterly clueless but managed to make VP at the place up the street. So they just get to be a VP at the next place.</text></item><item><author>throwaway5959</author><text>“The only place I&amp;#x27;ve really worked in my life is Amazon. And so I didn&amp;#x27;t get out much.”&lt;p&gt;Hard pass.</text></item><item><author>scrum-treats</author><text>Additional information on Dave Clark&amp;#x27;s impact:&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Some Flexport insiders say layoffs and an influx of former Amazon leaders are wrecking morale.&amp;quot;[1]&lt;p&gt;&amp;#x27;&amp;quot;These people do not have conversations — they make demands,&amp;quot; one laid-off employee said. Unsatisfactory answers could be met with harsh feedback, sources said.&lt;p&gt;One laid-off Flexporter said an Amazon veteran told them, &amp;quot;I don&amp;#x27;t believe a word you&amp;#x27;re saying,&amp;quot; during a presentation they said took months to prepare.&lt;p&gt;Clark was asked at Tuesday&amp;#x27;s conference whether his Amazon hires meant he wanted to change Flexport&amp;#x27;s culture.&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The only place I&amp;#x27;ve really worked in my life is Amazon. And so I didn&amp;#x27;t get out much. And I worked in supply chain so most of the people I know are Amazon people,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Turns out Amazon&amp;#x27;s pretty good at moving stuff around.&amp;quot;&amp;#x27;&lt;p&gt;See also, the Dave Clark effect at Amazon: 
&amp;quot;Amazon generally delivers later than competitors. That can be terrifying for some of its drivers&amp;quot;[2].&lt;p&gt;[1]&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.businessinsider.com&amp;#x2F;flexport-layoffs-amazon-leaders-change-culture-dave-clark-2023-3?op=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.businessinsider.com&amp;#x2F;flexport-layoffs-amazon-lead...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.cnn.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;21&amp;#x2F;tech&amp;#x2F;amazon-delivery-night&amp;#x2F;index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.cnn.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;21&amp;#x2F;tech&amp;#x2F;amazon-delivery-night&amp;#x2F;in...&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>throwboatyface</author><text>Yup. If you got your foot in the door at the right place and people in leadership liked you, you&amp;#x27;re on the track to be a director in 6-8 years. Usually the people who promoted you were themselves early employees with no experience being executives, who just peter-principled into senior director&amp;#x2F;VP roles.&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#x27;ve watched these failsons get promoted to senior director&amp;#x2F;VP, leave before they were ever accountable for their bad decisions, and then bring all their cronies over to the new place at the same levels.</text></comment>