From Zero to Day One and Beyond: Launching Products, Building Habits

First Talk - Launching a Country: Product at Amazon from Zero to Day 1 What does it take to open Amazon in a country where it has never operated? Before a customer can place their first order, someone has to decide what the store sells and how people will pay. They also have to work out how orders get delivered and how to earn the trust of customers who have never shopped with Amazon before.

In this talk, Chrysanthe and Emily at Amazon, gives a behind-the-scenes look at Product Management at Amazon through the lens of a country launch. You'll learn how Amazon's "Working Backwards" approach shapes a launch long before any code is written. You'll also see how teams decide what ships on Day 1 and what waits, and why launch day is really just the start.

You'll come away with:

• A clear picture of what a Product Manager at Amazon actually does • The building blocks of a country launch: storefront, selection, payments, delivery, and trust • How Amazon makes fast, high-quality decisions under pressure • Practical advice on the skills that matter most for a career in Product

The talk will be useful whether you're considering a Product career, curious how Amazon works, or interested in building for customers in new markets.

About the Speakers Chrysanthe Georgiou, Head of Product & Programs, [Amazon South Africa](https://www.amazon.co.za/) Chrysanthe leads the Product and Programs team for Amazon.co.za and shapes its ecommerce product strategy for South African customers. In her seven years at Amazon she has worked across Books, AWS and Stores. Before that, she held leadership roles with Deloitte and Amazon in New York and London. She is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford. She is energised by bringing Amazon's global scale together with local insight. She believes that building for South African customers takes deep curiosity, constant learning and a willingness to innovate.

Emily Topielski, Payments Country Lead, [Amazon South Africa](https://www.amazon.co.za/) Emily's responsibility is to make paying online convenient and secure, and to remove the obstacles that stop first-time online shoppers from finishing a purchase. She has been with Amazon for 7 years and held leadership roles in the US, Singapore and South Africa, across operations, product management and business development.

Second Talk - After Day One: Building lasting user habits Launching a product is only the beginning. The harder job is getting customers to come back without being asked. This talk looks at how product teams can build lasting habits into their apps and websites, especially without the scale or loyalty programmes of global players. Drawing on real examples from platforms such as Amplitude, AppsFlyer and OneSignal, it covers how to find the moments that predict retention, reach users at the right time, and measure whether a habit is actually forming.

Don Packett, Chief Operating Officer at [YOUKNOW Technologies](https://www.youknow.co.za/) Don leads growth and operational strategy across people, processes, performance and technology partnerships. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, Don has worked across strategy, sales, marketing, user experience and organisational transformation. He is the former CEO of Missing Link Presentation Specialists and co-founder of 21Tanks Perspective Lab. A self-described “serial generalist,” Don is also a coach, author and professional speaker who has presented on regional and international stages, including TEDx. He is passionate about translating complex ideas into clear strategies, compelling stories and practical action.

With thanks to our generous sponsors for venue and catering: [Allan Gray](https://www.allangray.co.za/) and [Now Boarding](https://www.nowboarding.io/).