Amazon Product Leader Buys Printing Company

A former product leader at Amazon, who joined the company in 2022, left the tech industry due to persistent layoffs and return-to-office mandates that disrupted work-life balance. The author observed that these layoffs disproportionately affected women, leading to decreased morale and increased workloads for remaining employees. This experience prompted a search for alternative career paths, leading to the discovery of entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA).

The ETA model involves purchasing an existing, profitable business rather than starting one from scratch or climbing the corporate ladder. The author spent a year at Amazon searching for a suitable business to acquire, with the goal of building a holding company. In June 2025, utilizing a Small Business Administration (SBA) acquisition loan, the author successfully purchased DiggyPOD, a book printing company established in 1988 with annual revenues of $10 million.

This May, the author expanded their acquisition portfolio by purchasing Long Overdue Books, a book publisher known for several notable titles. The author views this transition from a corporate product leadership role at a major tech company to owning and operating printing and publishing businesses as a significantly more rewarding career move. The decision was driven by a desire for greater control over their professional life and a more sustainable work-life integration.