Amazon to Atlassian: Testing Assumptions Instead of Egos | Growthbook Blog

Andrew Willingham, Head of Legal and People Products at Atlassian, shares his journey from leading product development at Amazon to reinventing HR systems in the AI era. His experience underscores the importance of understanding the actual users of a product, as he learned when a feature-rich talent review system initially flopped due to its complexity for frontline users. Transitioning from Amazon's high-volume A/B testing environment to Atlassian's more qualitative research approach, Willingham emphasizes balancing efficiency and quality metrics in HR processes. He advocates for a strategic framework where durable truths are shipped without testing, while counterintuitive elements are thoroughly tested, stressing that the most valuable insights often come from unexpected failures. His approach to experimentation focuses on learning quickly by challenging assumptions, engaging directly with users, and adapting workflows that have long been industry standards, all while maintaining a mindset of iterative, small-scale changes that accumulate over time.

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