Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s leading cloud computing provider, is tightening its focus on faster product rollouts as it prepares for its annual Reinvent event in Las Vegas this December.
In a recent internal meeting, AWS chief executive Matt Garman delivered a stern message to employees, urging them to accelerate product launches—particularly in the artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud innovation space—to keep pace with competitors and meet growing customer expectations.
According to a a news agency transcript of the internal session, Garman told staff:
"Increasingly, we’re finding that when we launch innovative new things at Reinvent it’s valuable if we can actually launch them, as opposed to just pre-announce them."
He further stressed the importance of execution over marketing buzz, adding:
"Customers want to be able to use our products when we talk about them, and we find that when we’re slow in coming out with products, you lose some of that buzz."
This marks a noticeable shift in strategy for AWS, which has often used Reinvent to tease upcoming technologies months before release.
AWS has faced criticism for lagging behind competitors like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud in the generative AI race. On a recent earnings call, a Morgan Stanley analyst suggested AWS was falling behind its rivals. However, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy defended the company’s strategy, insisting AI adoption remains in its early stages and predicting room for “multiple long-term winners.”
Still, Garman emphasised discipline in execution during the internal meeting:
"The first and very most important thing we’ve got to do is make sure that we deliver on the roadmap that we have."
His comments underline AWS’s intent to meet commitments rather than overpromise.
Garman also highlighted the importance of customer presence at Reinvent, which last year attracted over 60,000 attendees. He told staff:
"It’s not interesting if customers aren’t there."
The company is reportedly aiming to at least match last year’s turnout, with a focus on showcasing real-world AI and cloud applications rather than experimental demos.
In the same meeting, AWS unveiled a new experimental product called Quick for internal testing. Quick is an agentic AI tool designed to handle tasks with minimal prompting.
It can scan documents and web pages.
Build customised workflows for repetitive tasks.
Enhance productivity through automation.
AWS employees will soon get access to test Quick, positioning it as a potential competitor to AI productivity agents offered by rivals like Microsoft Copilot and Google Duet AI.
Following Reuters’ coverage of Garman’s comments, Amazon issued a clarification. An Amazon spokesperson said the report had misinterpreted a second-hand account, stating:
"It was an inspiring internal conversation where we encouraged the team to work hard to keep delivering meaningful value to customers at Reinvent, just as we do every year."
As AWS prepares for Reinvent 2025, the pressure is mounting to demonstrate tangible AI advancements and faster product rollouts. While competitors have made bold moves in the generative AI space, Garman’s directive signals that AWS intends to deliver usable, customer-ready products at launch rather than speculative previews.
The launch of tools like Quick and a renewed focus on execution over hype may help AWS reaffirm its dominance in cloud computing while addressing criticism of being slow to adapt in the AI era.