Today, we had a site visit at Amazon. You would think Amazon would have a similar atmosphere as Google, but it was actually very different. As soon as we entered the building we were told no photos (not even of the lobby) and had to sign liability waivers. We also had to be escorted to the bathroom and never wander off without a guide. The reasons for these intense security measures are because they were creating the next big thing Amazon has to offer just only a floor above us. Crazy to think. The Amazon speaker gave us a run down how Alexa works and what it is mostly used for. Some examples were playing music, asking about the weather, or cooking meals in the kitchen. Another topic of discussion is Amazon Web Services or AWS. AWS is a subsidiary that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms. This is a service that Amazon provides to businesses, including Netflix! We were told that if Amazon were to shut down, Netflix would also shut down too. AWS also provides service to the New York Stock Exchange. After learning about Alexa and AWS, we had some time to hang out in Amazons brand new facility and play some ping pong and pool. What was most disappointing to me about the Amazon visit was that I couldn’t get a sense of the work culture. Since they presented to us in a room the entire time without getting a tour, it was hard to get a sense if the work environment was positive or negative.

After our stop at Amazon, we had a lunch break and the boys met Aidan Gillen aka Lord Baelish from Game of Thrones! Super jealous!