
Andy Jassy built community through chicken wing eating club at Amazon
Andy Jassy built community through chicken wing eating club at Amazon
- In the late 1990s, Andy Jassy was a new hire at Amazon in Seattle and struggled to make connections.
- He founded a chicken wing eating club, which evolved into the competitive Tatonka Bowl and became a staple at Amazon's tech conference.
- Jassy's approach emphasizes building genuine relationships over traditional networking methods and reflects larger corporate values.
Story
In the late 1990s, Andy Jassy, now the CEO of Amazon, faced the challenge of establishing connections after relocating to Seattle for his new job at the fledgling e-commerce company. Instead of conforming to traditional corporate networking methods, Jassy initiated a unique eating club that centered on chicken wings. This club provided an informal gathering space for employees to bond over food each Tuesday evening. The initial gatherings occurred at a local hotspot known as The Wing Dome, where camaraderie blossomed among a dozen colleagues. Over time, this weekly tradition transformed into a competition dubbed the Tatonka Bowl, referencing the buffalo in the classic film 'Dances with Wolves.' This event included officiating referees to oversee wing consumption and measure the weight of participants before and after the contest, highlighting both the lightheartedness and competitiveness of the gatherings. As Jassy climbed the corporate ladder at Amazon, he continued to promote the importance of this tradition, integrating wing-eating contests into the company’s annual tech conference, AWS re:Invent. Here, attendees could witness Jassy's personal dedication as he famously downed 57 wings during one competition, setting a high standard for participants. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, has emphasized the importance of building community and making genuine connections, a belief that resonates with Jassy's approach. This philosophy encourages forming small, meaningful relationships rather than merely expanding one's professional network on platforms like LinkedIn. For Jassy, the bond forged during these chicken wing nights was not just a quirky pastime; it was a fundamental aspect of creating a supportive work environment. Jassy has shared that working with the right people was a significant factor in maintaining his nearly three-decade tenure at Amazon. His chicken wing club exemplified his commitment to nurturing community, which is particularly crucial for newcomers in any workplace. Many in the Gen Z demographic may struggle with traditional networking, underscoring the practicality of Jassy's lesson about the value of shared experiences in relationship-building.