# Dave Anderson

> Dave Anderson spent 12+ years climbing Amazon's ladder from entry-level development manager to Technology Director and General Manager, then briefly served as the first CTO of Bezos Academy before achieving financial independence at 40 and walking away. Today he runs Scarlet Ink, a newsletter with 72,000+ subscribers offering rare insider perspective on big-tech careers, Amazon's leadership principles, and the mechanics of getting promoted without losing your mind.

- **Role:** Founder & Author at Scarlet Ink
- **Organizations:** Scarlet Ink, Amazon, Meta, Bezos Academy
- **From:** Midwest, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Michigan Technological University
- **Known for:** Grew Scarlet Ink newsletter to 72,000+ subscribers from zero, Promoted three times at Amazon, from SDM to Technology Director and GM, Served as the first CTO of Bezos Academy

## Career timeline

- **1999** — Graduated from Michigan Technological University with a BS in Computer Science
- **1999-2007** — Early-career software engineering roles in the Midwest
- **2006** — Discovered the concept of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), shifting mindset from retirement age to a target number
- **~2007** — Joined Amazon as a development manager (SDM) - the lowest management rung - in Seattle
- **2007-2020** — Rose through Amazon ranks over 12+ years: three promotions, reaching Technology Director and General Manager; became a Bar Raiser and joined Bar Raiser core leadership
- **~2020** — Selected as the first CTO of Bezos Academy at the start of the pandemic; spent roughly a year building the technology foundation and hiring an IT leadership team
- **~2020-2021** — Served as Tech Leader at Meta
- **Late 2019** — Achieved conservative FIRE target after ~15 years of focused saving
- **May 2021** — Left corporate world to pursue writing and raising chickens
- **2021** — Launched Scarlet Ink newsletter on Ghost/personal domain
- **Late 2023** — Moved Scarlet Ink to Substack
- **2024** — Surpassed 72,000 newsletter subscribers; 186+ published articles

## Achievements

- Grew Scarlet Ink newsletter to 72,000+ subscribers from zero
- Promoted three times at Amazon, from SDM to Technology Director and GM
- Served as the first CTO of Bezos Academy
- Bar Raiser and member of Amazon's Bar Raiser core leadership group
- Authored 'How to Interview at Amazon' - widely recognized as the definitive guide on the topic
- Published 186+ articles on tech careers and leadership
- Achieved financial independence (FIRE) in early 40s
- Readers routinely report getting promotions and salary increases after following his advice
- Volunteers teaching interview skills at local high schools

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — Scarlet Ink surpasses 72,000 subscribers
- **2023-11** — Moved Scarlet Ink newsletter from Ghost to Substack
- **2023-12** — Announced newsletter milestone and highest-ROI post update on LinkedIn
- **2023-12** — Posted thread on X about big-tech career incentives driving layoff cycles

## Links

- Website: https://www.scarletink.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarletink/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/scarletinked

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dave-anderson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-21