In this episode of How Many CTOs Does It Take?, hosts Brad Hefta-Gaub and Scott Porad sit down with Marcelo Calbucci, a seasoned CTO, startup founder, and author of The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon’s Innovation Process to Work for You.
Marcello shares insights on the PR FAQ framework—an innovation decision-making tool used extensively at Amazon—and its applicability to startups, product managers, and even internal projects within larger organizations. The conversation covers the steps to creating a PR FAQ, common pitfalls, and tips on how to integrate this framework into established corporate cultures.
Marcello also discusses his transition from startups to Amazon, the importance of internal alignment, and the value of answering tough, strategic questions early in the project lifecycle.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:58 Marcello's Background and New Book
02:08 Experience at Amazon
03:46 Understanding PR FAQ
05:25 Importance of Customer Value
07:07 Team Alignment and Decision Making
08:54 PR FAQ in Practice
15:14 Using PR FAQ for Internal Projects
19:18 Adopting PR FAQ in Established Organizations
20:56 Overcoming OKR Failures
21:45 Implementing PR FAQ Format
22:55 Common Pitfalls of PR FAQ
26:03 Confidentiality and Sharing PR FAQ
28:53 Using PR FAQ for Personal and Team Clarity
31:21 Controversial Aspects of PR FAQ
34:45 Adopting PR FAQ in Startups
37:42 Writing a PR FAQ Book
39:33 Conclusion and Where to Find the Book
