Bezos Approved Rules For Better Meetings

71% of meetings waste time.

(Jeff Bezos built Amazon by doing the opposite.)

At its peak, Amazon ran with over 1.5 million employees.

Yet, Bezos was known for obsessively protecting his time.

So how did he make meetings work?

He didn’t just show up.
He rewrote the rules.

6 powerful principles Bezos used to keep meetings
productive, focused, and fast-moving:

1. The Two-Pizza Rule
↳ If two pizzas can’t feed the room, it’s too big.
Fewer people = faster decisions.

2. No Slide Decks
↳ Slides distract. Bezos required a written memo.
Writing reveals flaws and forces clarity.

3. Silent Start
↳ Begin with 20 minutes of quiet reading.
No grandstanding. Just shared understanding.

4. The Empty Chair
↳ One seat stays open to represent the customer.
Every decision must serve them.

5. Invite Conflict
↳ Assign a devil’s advocate.
Pressure-test every plan. Good ideas survive the heat.

6. End with Action
↳ No meeting ends without clear owners and deadlines.
Accountability is the only thing that moves the needle.

If your meetings feel bloated or aimless…

Save this sheet.
Steal these rules.
Apply them fast.

Then get out of the way.

Less talk. More traction.