When good top-down structure is on the other side
People say, ‘I’m talking with AWS’. It sounds grown-up. It also hides the only thing that matters: you are talking with a human being who has a job title, a quota, and a limited amount of power.
Satellite articles
- When good top-down structure is on the other side
- When the human is the UI
- AWS sells to the tribe, not the board
- Borrowed leverage: partners, resellers, and the myth of ‘direct’
People say, ‘I’m talking with AWS’, the same way they say, ‘I’m talking with the bank’ or ‘I’m talking with the NHS’.
It sounds grown-up. It also hides the only thing that matters: you are talking with a human being who has a job title, a quota, and a limited amount of power.
Personification is when we turn an institution into a character. A single mind. A single intention. A single promise. We then negotiate with that character as if it can choose to be generous, flexible, or loyal.
That is not how large companies work. The best ones are not based around people. They are based around systems.
I get amazing feedback from people on my articles on LinkedIn, but then I do not see these same people in the list of subscribers (free or paying) and I work hard to make the effort of subscribing worth it. Thanks.
