Get to know Savannah K., a UX PM for Amazon Books
Savannah K. works on the Books Team at Amazon. Her team researches how to make reading, writing and publishing easier for all. She came to Amazon from the healthcare space; pivoting to Amazon’s transportation and receipt experience team. When a role became available on the Amazon Books team, she jumped at the opportunity to help others in an area that is a true passion of hers - literacy and reading! Check out her perspectives below.
What do you love about your team?
I work with the BEST people in the world. The researchers on the Books team are some of the smartest, effective, and bold people I’ve ever worked with. They’re not afraid to push new ideas and put themselves out there to support really important initiatives.
What has Amazon taught you?
Amazon has taught me more about myself. It can often be seen as a “tough” place to work. I feel like a lot of people feel they need to change who they are to succeed, but once I found my team, I knew I was in the right place. That’s why I ALWAYS advocate for people to move teams - it’s such a “peculiar” thing to be able to change teams and I think we should take advantage of it!
How do you express yourself at Amazon?
There’s so many wonderful opportunities outside our day to day work that Amazon affords us, affinity groups, volunteer programs, trainings - but what I really love is helping others! Two of my favorite programs I’ve engaged in is Class Chats and the UXDR Apprenticeship program - I love speaking and teaching and that’s how I express myself best - by ACTIVATING and educating others!
Share a fact that isn’t on your LinkedIn profile!
Thanks to my career in med device design, my hand is cartooned and in MANY an instructional document for medication delivery systems.
What do you do after work?
I love traveling, going to new places and exploring is one of my favorite things. The best way to travel is to just walk everywhere. When my husband and I travel, we walk 8-10 miles a day, immersing ourselves in a city and really living in it!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?
That so many people will try to tell you to change who you are, and if you don’t, you won’t be successful. For those people I say, HARD NO.
What inspires you?
I’ve always been intrinsically motivated. I’ve never needed outside motivators to push myself - I’m really lucky for that! But one thing that drives me is my motto, “I just hope every body has a good time”. Life is too short to be angry or upset - I hope we can all not take ourselves too seriously and just have a good time!
