Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Get 6 months free of Linear Business (3 seats) to celebrate our partnership 👉🏻 Redeem at: https://linear.app/ale
Ethan Evans spent his career climbing to VP at Amazon, helping build Prime Video and Twitch and leading teams of over 800 people. He retired with enough money to stop caring what he's "supposed" to say, which is why he's blunt about the stuff most executives dodge: everyone lies at work sometimes, and if you refuse to play politics, you lose by default.
Steve gets Ethan to break down how to spot manipulation before it costs you, how to tell if your manager (or their whole chain) is toxic, and how to stop taking orders and start managing up so your boss can't afford to lose you. They close on the exact math and wording for asking for a raise — and why most people never even ask.
📘 AI can write your code. It can't tell your story. Behavioral interviews are the new differentiator, and I wrote the book on them: geni.us/BehavioralInterview-yt
🚀 Work directly with Steve to get a high performance review and your next tech promotion in a year, guaranteed! ➡️ go.alifeengineered.com/?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=lf&utm_campaign=s2p-nr&utm_content=ethan_evans_2-sponsored
For the extended conversation, become a member to this channel or join my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/alifeengineered/p/ex-amazon-vp-on-what-actually-gets?r=2tt9s7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
💥 Continue the conversation on my Discord server with like-minded viewers. The advice section is *chef's kiss* - discord.com/invite/HFVMbQgRJJ
📈Transform your tech career with my free weekly newsletter - alifeengineered.substack.com
Guest Links:
ethanevans.com
levelupwithethanevans.substack.com
Chapters:
0:00 "Yes, I Lie"
1:07 Corporate Politics 101
4:18 Rule #1:
4:36 Rule #2:
6:15 Rule #3:
9:40 Influence vs. Manipulation
15:10 How to Tell If You're Being Manipulated
18:24 Defend Yourself
23:20 Spotting a Toxic Management Chain
30:14 When to Leave a Bad Manager
34:46 Managing Up: The Bag-of-Poop Rule
42:19 Become the "Magic" Employee
47:19 When Your Manager Overloads You (Especially With AI)
58:48 The Exact Way to Ask for a Raise
1:01:03 The White Lies Everyone Tells at Work
Get 6 months free of Linear Business (3 seats) to celebrate our partnership 👉🏻 Redeem at: https://linear.app/ale
Ethan Evans spent his career climbing to VP at Amazon, helping build Prime Video and Twitch and leading teams of over 800 people. He retired with enough money to stop caring what he's "supposed" to say, which is why he's blunt about the stuff most executives dodge: everyone lies at work sometimes, and if you refuse to play politics, you lose by default.
Steve gets Ethan to break down how to spot manipulation before it costs you, how to tell if your manager (or their whole chain) is toxic, and how to stop taking orders and start managing up so your boss can't afford to lose you. They close on the exact math and wording for asking for a raise — and why most people never even ask.
📘 AI can write your code. It can't tell your story. Behavioral interviews are the new differentiator, and I wrote the book on them: geni.us/BehavioralInterview-yt
🚀 Work directly with Steve to get a high performance review and your next tech promotion in a year, guaranteed! ➡️ go.alifeengineered.com/?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=lf&utm_campaign=s2p-nr&utm_content=ethan_evans_2-sponsored
For the extended conversation, become a member to this channel or join my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/alifeengineered/p/ex-amazon-vp-on-what-actually-gets?r=2tt9s7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
💥 Continue the conversation on my Discord server with like-minded viewers. The advice section is *chef's kiss* - discord.com/invite/HFVMbQgRJJ
📈Transform your tech career with my free weekly newsletter - alifeengineered.substack.com
Guest Links:
ethanevans.com
levelupwithethanevans.substack.com
Chapters:
0:00 "Yes, I Lie"
1:07 Corporate Politics 101
4:18 Rule #1:
4:36 Rule #2:
6:15 Rule #3:
9:40 Influence vs. Manipulation
15:10 How to Tell If You're Being Manipulated
18:24 Defend Yourself
23:20 Spotting a Toxic Management Chain
30:14 When to Leave a Bad Manager
34:46 Managing Up: The Bag-of-Poop Rule
42:19 Become the "Magic" Employee
47:19 When Your Manager Overloads You (Especially With AI)
58:48 The Exact Way to Ask for a Raise
1:01:03 The White Lies Everyone Tells at Work
