What you'll learn in this episode
In this conversation, Amir Elion, CEO of Think Big Leaders and former AWS Innovation Programs lead in the Nordics, joins Tiyana on Changemaker Q&A to explore what innovation really means beyond the buzzword. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Amir shares how Amazon's Working Backwards methodology can be applied to any organization - from global corporations to nonprofits fighting school bullying - and why culture, not size, determines whether an organization can innovate. These are topics Amir regularly speaks about at conferences and corporate events.
Innovation must create value and be systematic
Amir defines innovation as creating value through an intentional, systematic approach - not just having a great idea that happens to work. As a member of Sweden's Innovation Leaders Association, he points to international standards for innovation management and argues that innovation is a profession with established methodologies. A single lucky breakthrough is not innovation. Building repeatable processes that consistently generate impact is. This perspective on systematic innovation is a core part of Amir's keynote presentations and workshops.
Culture beats size every time
A key insight from Amir's experience across Amazon, startups, and NGOs: the biggest factor in innovation is organizational culture, not size. Amazon's "always day one" philosophy drives innovation across 1.5 million employees, while other large organizations with more resources may struggle. Innovation is also a personal mindset - wherever Amir worked, he made innovation part of his role even when it was not in his job description.
Working Backwards applied to social impact
Amir shares how he applied Amazon's Working Backwards methodology pro bono with Friends, a Swedish nonprofit fighting school bullying. The team worked through the foundational questions - who exactly are we trying to help (educators, children, parents, municipalities)? What is the specific problem? They landed on a digital platform to help school staff monitor and address bullying patterns while scaling impact without proportionally scaling resources. The methodology worked just as well for a nonprofit as it does for a tech giant.
Two-way doors and bias for action
The conversation explores Amazon's Bias for Action leadership principle and the two-way door mental model. Most decisions are reversible - you can walk through the door, learn what is on the other side, and come back if needed. One-way doors like major investments deserve more careful analysis. For teams stuck in disagreement, Amir recommends lowering the risk: run a quick experiment, test three options, and let real feedback guide the decision rather than spending months deliberating.
AI as an innovation accelerator
Amir describes teaching ChatGPT his innovation methodologies and finding that AI could follow about 75% of his structured processes. He created an online course teaching others to build AI innovation co-pilots, and now uses vibe coding to build prototypes in three hours instead of waiting months for developer teams. The key caveat - you must teach AI your way of thinking, and you must always ask where humans need to remain in the loop.
Book Amir as a speaker
Amir regularly delivers keynotes and workshops on the topics covered in this episode - Amazon's Working Backwards methodology, innovation for social impact, AI-powered innovation, and leadership principles for the age of AI. He speaks at conferences, corporate leadership offsites, and industry events across Sweden, the Nordics, and Europe. Learn more about Amir's speaking topics and availability.