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David Carbon, Vice President of Amazon Prime Air, Delivers Visionary Talk on Leadership and Product Innovation at the Start Up Festival Malta 2024

David Carbon is the vice President of Amazon Prime Air, he was raised in Australia by two Maltese parents, and currently resides in the United States. Carbon has made significant contributions to some of the world’s most renowned companies, including Ford, Boeing, and Amazon.

 

Carbon’s Early Life

David Carbon was raised in the world of engineering from the age of four. Carbon spent a lot of his childhood working with his father, who was an engineer himself. Initially Carbon studied law & politics but transferred to business soon after. Carbon worked with Ford from 1995-2001 in manufacturing project management. It was here that he was recognised as an excellent employee and was selected for a programme at the iron & aluminum foundry, where he learnt about manufacturing.

He received an offer from Boeing, where he held the position of general plane manager and later became the president of Hawker de Havilland. David moved to America to run Boeing from Seattle, where he worked on project management. Carbon ran the 747 management as well as the 787. For the past five years, he has been the Vice President of Amazon Prime Air, overseeing the order-to-delivery system that employs autonomous drones to ensure packages arrive within 30 minutes.

“Deeply know your product and deeply know your customer”

Views on Leading, Managing & Developing a Product 

During his speech at the Start Up Festival, David Carbon emphasizes the importance of knowing your product and knowing your customers. He explained that if you don’t know how to articulate what you’re saying or if you don’t know who your customers are you, don’t perform well. For him, defining the vision, mission, and objectives of a company is needed when operating. The vision for Amazon is to be a “customer centric company” and to do this they must productively use technology to create the best customer experience.

Carbon highlights that “As a small business you are everything”, –  meaning that there are a lot of roles and responsibilities when starting from scratch. Entrepreneurs often find themselves juggling various tasks, from marketing and operations to customer service. The goal is to be open, to listen, and to learn from experiences and feedback. However, he stressed that it is crucial not to lose sight of the objectives.

Customer Centricity

Carbon’s experience at Ford, Boeing and Amazon equipped him with the understanding of consumer centricity. All companies cater specifically to their clients, he stresses the significance of working backward from the customer, which helps define the necessary features and functions of a product. It is what makes people want to use your product.

 

Collaborating with Big Corporations

When collaborating with major companies, Carbon emphasised the importance of articulating your proposition simply and confidently. He advises that adaptability is necessary, however it’s equally important not to lose the company’s integrity. It is not about trying to please everyone, instead it’s about learning, and adapting as necessary.

Networking with business is very crucial to have however he reminds us to “never lose that connection and never abuse that connection.” Building a network without abusing it can lead to collaborations and growth.

 

Understanding your product and your customer is essential for success. A clear vision and mission guides small businesses, where one takes on multiple roles. Strong communication and authentic connections are key when collaborating with larger corporations, ensuring growth through a customer-centric approach.

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