I Bombed My First Amazon Interview. Here's How I Prepared for Round 2.
My first Amazon interview was a disaster. Four back-to-back behavioral rounds, each focused on Leadership Principles, and I walked out knowing I'd blown it. I rambled. My stories didn't land. I couldn't connect my experiences to their principles in a way that felt natural.
Six months later, I interviewed again. Different team, same LP-focused format. This time I got the offer. Here's everything I learned between those two interviews.
First, Understand What Amazon Actually Wants
Amazon has 16 Leadership Principles. You've probably seen the list. But here's what most prep guides don't tell you: not all LPs are created equal in interviews.
The Top 6 LPs They Ask About (In My Experience)
- 1. Customer Obsession - Almost guaranteed to come up
- 2. Ownership - They love this one
- 3. Dive Deep - Especially for technical roles
- 4. Bias for Action - Very common
- 5. Deliver Results - Usually in later rounds
- 6. Earn Trust - Often paired with conflict questions
This doesn't mean ignore the others - but these six came up in almost every loop I've heard about.
The 16 Leadership Principles (Quick Reference)
Here's the full list with what Amazon actually means by each:
1. Customer Obsession
Start with the customer and work backwards. They want examples of when you prioritized customer needs over internal convenience.
2. Ownership
Act on behalf of the entire company. They want to hear when you went beyond your job description.
3. Invent and Simplify
Innovation and simplification. When did you create something new or make something complex simpler?
4. Are Right, A Lot
Good judgment and instincts. When were you right when others disagreed?
5. Learn and Be Curious
Always improving. What have you learned recently? How do you stay current?
6. Hire and Develop the Best
For managers: hiring decisions, mentoring. For ICs: how you've helped teammates grow.
7. Insist on the Highest Standards
Never settling. When did you raise the bar even when it was hard?
8. Think Big
Bold thinking. When did you propose something ambitious?
9. Bias for Action
Speed matters. When did you act quickly without waiting for perfect information?
10. Frugality
Do more with less. When did you accomplish something without asking for more resources?
11. Earn Trust
Listen, speak candidly, treat others respectfully. Conflict resolution stories work here.
12. Dive Deep
Stay connected to details. When did your attention to detail catch something others missed?
13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Challenge decisions respectfully, then commit. When did you disagree with your manager?
14. Deliver Results
Focus on key inputs and deliver with quality. When did you deliver under pressure?
15. Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
Newer LP. How do you create a positive work environment?
16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
Newest LP. Thinking about broader impact beyond immediate work.
My Preparation System (What Actually Worked)
The Story Bank Method
I created a spreadsheet with 12-15 stories from my career. For each story, I mapped which LPs it could demonstrate. Most stories can cover 2-3 principles depending on how you tell them.
Story: "Led migration to new payment system"
→ Customer Obsession (reduced checkout errors)
→ Dive Deep (found edge cases in testing)
→ Deliver Results (shipped on time)
→ Ownership (volunteered to lead it)
The STAR Format (But Make It Natural)
Everyone tells you to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result). That's correct. But most people make it sound robotic. Here's how I structured my answers:
My Answer Structure (2 minutes max)
- Hook (10 sec) - "This was when I was at [Company] and our biggest customer was about to churn..."
- Context (20 sec) - Quick setup. Team size, stakes, timeline.
- What I Did (60 sec) - Specific actions. "I did X, then Y, then Z." Use "I" not "we."
- Result (20 sec) - Quantify if possible. "Revenue increased 23%." "Reduced errors by 40%."
- Learning (10 sec) - Brief reflection. "What I took from this was..."
The Mistake That Almost Killed My First Interview
I kept saying "we" instead of "I." Amazon wants to know what YOU did. Even in team projects, be specific: "I proposed the solution, I wrote the technical spec, I coordinated with the other team." They'll ask follow-ups if you're vague.
Common Amazon Interview Questions by LP
Customer Obsession
- • Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a customer
- • Describe a situation where you had to balance customer needs with business constraints
- • When did you make a decision that prioritized long-term customer value over short-term gains?
Ownership
- • Tell me about a time you took on something outside your job description
- • Describe a project you owned end-to-end
- • When did you see a problem and fix it without being asked?
Dive Deep
- • Tell me about a time your attention to detail prevented a problem
- • When did you dig into data to find an insight others missed?
- • Describe a complex problem you had to break down
Bias for Action
- • Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information
- • When did you take a calculated risk?
- • Describe a situation where speed was critical
Earn Trust / Disagree and Commit
- • Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager
- • How did you handle a situation where you had to deliver difficult feedback?
- • Describe a conflict with a coworker and how you resolved it
How I Used AI Tools to Prep
I'll be honest: preparing 12-15 stories and practicing them out loud is exhausting. I used LastRound AI in two ways:
Mock Interview Practice
I'd give it an LP and ask it to interview me. It asked follow-up questions like a real Amazon interviewer would. "You said 'we' - what specifically did YOU do?"
Before the Real Thing
The practice sessions helped me internalize which LP each question was targeting. By the time I walked into my second loop, framing my answers around the right principles felt automatic instead of forced.
Interview Day Tips
- Bring water. You'll be talking for 4-5 hours straight. Dry mouth is real.
- Ask which LP they're asking about. It's totally fine to say "Just to make sure I answer the right aspect - is this about Ownership or Customer Obsession?"
- It's okay to pause. "Let me think about the best example for that" is better than rambling into a weak story.
- Have 2-3 questions ready for each interviewer. "What's the biggest challenge this team is facing?" always works.
- The Bar Raiser interview is normal. One interviewer will seem extra tough. That's their job. Don't panic.
After the Interview
Amazon usually gets back within a week. If you don't hear back, one follow-up email to your recruiter is fine. They're processing a lot of candidates.
If you don't get the offer, you can usually interview again in 6-12 months. Use that time to build more stories - take on projects that demonstrate LPs you were weak on.
Final Thoughts
Amazon's LP interview is learnable. It's not about being the most impressive person - it's about clearly communicating your experiences in a format they understand. Prepare your stories, practice out loud, and know which LPs matter most.
You've got this. The second interview is always easier than the first.
Last updated: January 2026