Jon Derkits

BEST@AMAZON NEWSLETTER --> https://bestatamazon.ck.page/

QUICK CHAT --> https://tidycal.com/jonderkits/quick-chat
AMAZON COACHING & ADVISORY --> https://tidycal.com/jonderkits/amazon-coaching-and-advisory

* * * * *

Hi, I'm Jon and I'm a builder. 

Over the course of my 15-year career in management consulting and technology companies, I've built teams, I've built processes, I've built products, and I've built businesses (the 10-figure kind). I'm at my best when I'm in a role with scope and significance, and my superpower is consistency.

Some things I'm GOOD at include dealing with ambiguity and making good decisions in fast-paced, uncertain environments. Some things I'm *GREAT* at include obsessing over customers and developing my people.

Follow me here on LinkedIn if you want to hear my thoughts on Amazon, building great teams, or the current state of Chicago sports.

* * * * *

CLIFTON STRENGTHS
Harmony, Achiever, Learner, Positivity, Ideation

DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE
eCommerce, Marketplaces/Platforms, Valuation 

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS
Business Performance Measurement, Category Management, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, Financial Statement Analysis, Lean Six Sigma, P&L Ownership, Strategic Planning, Team Leadership, Written Communication

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Amazon Seller Central, Bloomberg, Capital IQ, Microsoft Office, SQL, Tableau

Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

One common trait among true “A” players 👇


Regardless of whatever bar or standard you set for them, their *internal* standard for themselves will always be higher.

This type of intrinsic drive and pressure doesn’t come without costs though (see: Four Burners Theory).

So make sure that you proactively take care of these folks, and look out for the whole person; not just the work part.

Buying & Building eCommerce Agencies | Ex-Amazon

I woke up at 5am today to listen to the recording of Amazon's Q4 2025 earnings call, so that you don't have to. Here are the 4 most important takeaways: 👇 

1) CAPEX is exploding to $200B in 2026(!)

This is Amazon's all-in bet on AI dominance, and they are prioritizing data centers, custom chips, and infrastructure.

🔑 Quote: "We expect to invest about $200 billion in capital expenditures across Amazon, but predominantly in AWS, because we have very high demand. Customers really want AWS for core and AI workloads. And we are monetizing capacity as fast as we can install it."

2) AWS is roaring back with 24% growth, reclaiming its cloud throne amid AI frenzy. 

Hitting a $142B run rate, it's accelerating at its fastest rate in 13 quarters, and it's being driven by migrations, custom silicon like Trainium, and a $244B backlog.

🔑 Quote: "AWS growth continued to accelerate to 24%, the fastest we've seen in thirteen quarters. Up $2.6 billion quarter over quarter and nearly $7 billion year over year. AWS is now a $142 billion annualized run rate business."

3) Advertising hit $21.3B with 23% growth, becoming one of Amazon's biggest profit engines. 

The growth here was fueled by Prime Video expansion and AI-driven targeting, where Amazon continues to make investments. 

🔑 Quote:  "Our ads team is also innovating with AI. We recently announced our ads agent, which lets brands use AI to create and optimize campaigns at scale, implement effective campaign targeting, and quickly create actionable insights. And our creative agent lets advertisers research, brainstorm, and generate full funnel ad campaigns from concept to completion using conversational guidance in Amazon's retail data transforming what was a weeks long process into just hours."

4) Customers are rapidly adopting Rufus.

Nearly 300M customers have used Rufus in the past year. And, in 2025, Rufus generated $10B in incremental GMV.
 
🔑 Quote: "Our Agentic AI shopping assistant, Rufus, is rapidly expanding. Customers who used Rufus are about 60% more likely to complete a purchase."

***
#amazon
#aws
#amazonads

In case you haven't been following the social zeitgeist and internet discourse...

Yesterday, Claude pre-released its Super Bowl ad set, which took a BIG swing at AI companies that plan to monetize through ads (*cough* OpenAI *cough*).

The ads were...kinda funny. 

Even Sam Altman lol'ed at them. But, then went on to intellectualize and defend OpenAI's decision.

And there are internet warriors on both sides, arguing in support of Claude's ads or arguing in support of OpenAI's decision to monetize through ads. 

But, while the professional marketers, media intellectuals, and AI evangelists debate whether the ads were good or bad, right or wrong, pretty or ugly, I can't help but notice...

The average person: 
1) Likes them
2) Likes them enough to tell their friends

There's a lesson in there somewhere, if you're a marketer.

What if the key to disrupting a stale $100 billion category just came down to...

...Innovative packaging

I don't know if that is true in every category, or at all.

But, as a consumer, I love seeing brands differentiate with their packaging.

HelloFresh

Sr. Product Marketing Manager, HelloFresh

Sr. Manager - Go-to-Market, EveryPlate

The Sola Company

Brand Manager

LIVEKINDLY Collective

Multi-national conglomerate of plant-based protein brands, founded in 2020

• Researched and crafted e-commerce retail strategy
• Piloted sampling programs through Sprout’s Market and GTFO It’s Vegan
• Developed and coordinated country-specific recipe integration programs to ensure recipes were culturally relevant

MBA Marketing Intern

Amazon

• Program managed deals and promotions for Amazon Fresh and Prime Now.
• Developed promotional strategy for Amazon Fresh and Prime Now.
• Negotiated and managed CX improvements for promotional content. 
• Built scalable reporting of deal performance across platforms.
• Drove customer trial of Whole Foods Market products on Amazon Fresh through the coordination and execution of onsite merchandising.
• Drove customer adoption and retention of Amazon Fresh Pickup through onsite merchandising and external marketing levers, including social media, print, and other channels.

Marketing Manager, Amazon Fresh

• Managed inventory availability and inventory health including: improved in-stock rates, inventory planning and systematic forecasting
• Optimized key system inputs to achieve highly automated replenishment
• Partnered with internal teams to help drive tools and process improvements that affect purchasing and vendor management workflow, with emphasis on automating tasks that are currently performed manually
• Drove process improvement and operational excellence within our vendor community by reducing costs, defects, and lead times, while increasing innovation, automation, and economies of scale
• Partnered with vendor managers and marketing managers in driving sales and profitability growth
• Drove complex business analysis that identifies opportunities to improve cost structure and profitability

In-Stock Manager, Home

• Operated as a general manager for a top Amazon Home Vendor
• Managed revenue and profits 
• Negotiated improved business terms 
• Optimized supply chain
• Managed inventory
• Developed and executed marketing

Brand Specialist, Home

Ronald McDonald House South Island

International non-profit, providing free accommodation to families of hospitalized children

• Spear-headed a team of ten students in $20,000 fundraising project to install solar panel system on the charity’s Christchurch campus – projected to save the charity over $500,000 in reduced energy costs
• Worked closely with EnaSolar, a subsidiary of Enatel – New Zealand’s largest tech company
• Created marketing plan to build awareness of the project and help drive results
• Presented to Prince Harry’s Advisory Committee
• Keynote speaker at the 2014-2015 penultimate meeting of Christchurch area Rotary Clubs
• Created crowd-funding page on Give-A-Little site, managed Facebook presence, and designed mass email through MailChimp to be sent out to potential donors
• Conducted interviews with CTV, The Press, and approached local businesses for sponsorship
• Authored article for University of Canterbury’s CANTA Magazine, and press releases for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, LA Times, and New Zealand Newspapers

Sustainable Fundraising Intern

LivingHomes

Leading designer and dealer of LEED Certified, prefabricated homes.

•  Developed reports to assess website and integrated marketing performance using Google
   Analytics 
•  Co-managed the company’s presence at the Dwell on Design conference in LA Convention Center, including coordinating efforts to ensure timelines were met, training office personnel on lead retrieval software, and fielding questions from as well as selling homes to more than 5,000 potential clients over a 3-day convention
•  Researched and compiled reports on opportunity for market expansion into vertical spaces
•  Assisted in managing projects, obtaining building permits, and achieving LEED certification
•  Created award submission for the 2014 Builder’s Choice and Custom Home Design Awards
   including project statements, photographs and project specifications
•  Developed feasibility reports for potential client projects
•  Initiated and orchestrated office reorganization that had been delayed for three years 
•  Designed brochures and reports to send to clients and potential leads
•  Researched product specifications in order to create a standard lines of fixtures and finishes
•  Managed social media including Facebook, Pinterest, and Flickr
•  Managed and analyzed database of incoming emails and questions from potential clients

Marketing and Environmental Analysis Intern

O'Connell Group

National executive recruiting firm specializing in CPG marketing and market research

•	Conduct on-line and database searches for candidates to recruit for client positions.
•	Complete data entry of potential candidate resumes and other information. 
•	Conduct research and compiled best practices for video-interviews

Assistant Recruiting Coordinator

Saint Louis Zoo

Nation's leading zoological institution specializing in animal management, research, and conservation 

•	Care for penguins, puffins, and a variety of other birds as well as their habitats
•	Assist in behavioral research 
•	Liaison to the public

Bird House Intern

Pomona College

• Collected, recorded and analyzed data examining the effects of climate change on Antarctic food webs through penguin diets

taplio

The Battle

Jon Derkits

Davey Holmes

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreJon Derkits's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Jon Derkits

Davey Holmes

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jon Derkits's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJon Derkits's LinkedIn Performance