Amazon taps Xbox co-founder to lead team developing 'breakthrough' consumer products

Amazon's devices division is embarking on an ambitious journey to create revolutionary consumer products, now led by J Allard, a veteran Microsoft executive renowned for his role in developing the Xbox. This new initiative, dubbed the ZeroOne team, operates from locations in Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, California, and is dedicated to both hardware and software innovation. The name 'ZeroOne' symbolizes the team's goal of transforming nascent ideas into tangible products, moving from concept to market launch. Historically, Amazon's hardware efforts have seen a mix of successes and failures. While devices like the Kindle e-reader, Echo smart speaker, and Fire streaming sticks have thrived, others, including the Fire Phone and Halo fitness tracker, did not fare as well. Most of these products originated from Lab126, Amazon's research and development hub in Silicon Valley. Allard, who spent nearly two decades at Microsoft, was pivotal in the creation of the Xbox and the Zune, an unsuccessful rival to the iPod. He joined Amazon in September, and the company confirmed his leadership role within the devices and services team, which is under the direction of Panos Panay, another ex-Microsoft executive who transitioned to Amazon in 2023. Although Amazon has not disclosed extensive details about ZeroOne’s projects, recent job postings hint at a focus on innovative technologies. One listing notes a need for expertise in computer vision techniques for a forthcoming smart-home product, while another seeks a senior customer insights manager to lead concept testing and gather early user feedback. The job descriptions emphasize a culture of design thinking and rapid experimentation, appealing to those eager to forge new product categories amidst the challenges of groundbreaking innovation. The formation of this specialized team has drawn talent from various sectors within Amazon, including those who have worked on the Alexa voice assistant and the Luna cloud gaming service. Notably, a leader from Lightform, a projection mapping startup acquired by Amazon, is also contributing to ZeroOne's endeavors. While this new team is being established, Amazon has also made the difficult decision to downsize other segments of its devices and services division, laying off roughly 100 employees earlier this month. This includes personnel from Alexa, Amazon Kids, and Lab126, impacting over 50 workers at the Sunnyvale facility, according to official WARN filings. Amazon has stated that these layoffs represent a minimal percentage of its expansive devices and services workforce, which numbers in the tens of thousands.