• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Successbusiness advice

Vimeo CEO says not using adverbs helps put the focus on customers—here’s why he thinks it helps companies to not ‘lose their way’

Preston Fore
By
Preston Fore
Preston Fore
Success Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Preston Fore
By
Preston Fore
Preston Fore
Success Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 6, 2025, 6:03 AM ET
Philip Moyer with a blue background
When Philip Moyer worked at Amazon, he said the customer was always front and center.Courtesy of Vimeo
  • Philip Moyer says his stint at Amazon was one of the most impactful of his career, in part due to the company’s emphasis on customers over shareholders.

Vimeo’s new CEO, Philip Moyer, has been around the block among the biggest tech companies.

While he most recently led Google’s applied AI engineering team, his career included a 15-year stint as a general manager in sales and technology at Microsoft and two years at Amazon’s financial services. The latter experience was the most “instructive,” he admits, and it centered around a unique policy against using adverbs.

But the reason is more logical than you may think.

“When we would write press releases, we weren’t allowed to use adverbs,” Moyer tells Fortune. “We had to actually not talk about the features of our products, but instead the problems we were solving for customers. And I would tell you that it was a really instructional reset in the language that I had to use.”

Corporate speak can cause companies to ‘lose their way’

Amazon has long been known for its unique leadership practices, such as a “two pizza rule” that defines small team size, as well as 16 principles like “bias for action” and “disagree and commit.” However, the company’s emphasis on customer value—versus shareholder value—is what most impressed Moyer. A failure to focus on the customer can be “one of the most dangerous things” for a company, he says.

“When they bring in outside consulting organizations, they talk in corporate speak, or they talk in terms of numbers as opposed to problems and people, I think that’s when companies lose their way,” Moyer adds.

Read more from Fortune

  • This entrepreneurial couple cashed out their 401(k)s and sold a $126 million company—now, they run a U.K. soccer team
  • Trump’s 25% tariffs are backfiring and threatening Gen Z’s trade career aspirations—putting car manufacturing jobs in peril
  • Gen Z women are being sold a risky dream: the realities behind ‘investing’ in designer bags like the Hermès Birkin
  • Like Tim Cook and Gen Z, AEG’s top exec eats the same lunch most days and wears the same outfit
  • Warren Buffett reveals the unique education strategy he took in school—and eventually paid off with a $170 billion fortune
  •  

    He’s brought his lessons with him in his new role as chief executive at Vimeo. While the video-sharing platform was heading down a path of decline last year, Vimeo is now on track for double-digit growth by the end of the year, Moyer says.

    How to get ahead in the business world, according to Vimeo’s CEO

    As now the leader of an $800 million company, Moyer learned many of his lessons the hard way, and he has advice for future business leaders:

    “First and foremost, do not be anxious,” Moyer says. “They’re going to do amazing as long as they do the work.”

    He also adds that it’s important to remember that despite any perception, no enterprise is created as easily as you may think.

    “Every company, every great AI unicorn, any company I’ve ever worked for was never the overnight success that it appears in the press release. It’s always a 10-year journey,” he says.

    Take OpenAI, for example—one of the fastest-growing companies in the world. The artificial intelligence startup did not explode in popularity until 2023, thanks in part to its success with ChatGPT. However, OpenAI was founded in late 2015, and its visionaries, like Sam Altman, were likely working on the concept years prior.

    Those who are willing to put in the hard work, even when it may go unnoticed at first, will come out ahead on the other side, Moyer adds.

    “You can do a lot of work in the dark—a lot of work that people don’t see—but as long as you’re doing the work, you ultimately will be successful in the thing that you’re working on.”

    At the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit, Fortune 500 leaders will convene to explore the defining questions shaping the workforce of the future—delivering bold ideas, powerful connections, and actionable insights for building resilient organizations for the decade ahead. Join Fortune May 19–20 in Atlanta. Register now.
    About the Author
    Preston Fore
    By Preston ForeSuccess Reporter
    LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

    Preston Fore is a reporter on Fortune's Success team.

    See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

    Latest in Success

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    Most Popular

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Fortune Secondary Logo
    Rankings
    • 100 Best Companies
    • Fortune 500
    • Global 500
    • Fortune 500 Europe
    • Most Powerful Women
    • World's Most Admired Companies
    • See All Rankings
    • Lists Calendar
    Sections
    • Finance
    • Fortune Crypto
    • Features
    • Leadership
    • Health
    • Commentary
    • Success
    • Retail
    • Mpw
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • CEO Initiative
    • Asia
    • Politics
    • Conferences
    • Europe
    • Newsletters
    • Personal Finance
    • Environment
    • Magazine
    • Education
    Customer Support
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Service Portal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Single Issues For Purchase
    • International Print
    Commercial Services
    • Advertising
    • Fortune Brand Studio
    • Fortune Analytics
    • Fortune Conferences
    • Business Development
    • Group Subscriptions
    About Us
    • About Us
    • Press Center
    • Work At Fortune
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Site Map
    • About Us
    • Press Center
    • Work At Fortune
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Site Map
    • Facebook icon
    • Twitter icon
    • LinkedIn icon
    • Instagram icon
    • Pinterest icon

    Latest in Success

    Anu Madgavkar, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute
    AIWorkplace Innovation Summit
    McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
    By Emma BurleighMay 21, 2026
    13 hours ago
    Jeff Bezos
    SuccessWealth
    Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
    By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
    13 hours ago
    Photo of MacKenzie Scott
    SuccessMacKenzie Scott
    MacKenzie Scott gave away more than $7 billion last year—but her secretive style got her snubbed from a top donors list
    By Sydney LakeMay 21, 2026
    15 hours ago
    Ex-Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg tells Gen Z the 10-year career plan is dead thanks to AI:  ‘Don’t script your career when the future is uncertain’
    Successcareer
    Ex-Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg tells Gen Z the 10-year career plan is dead thanks to AI:  ‘Don’t script your career when the future is uncertain’
    By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 21, 2026
    22 hours ago
    elon
    SuccessIPOs
    SpaceX IPO targets $28.5 trillion total addressable market, mission to ‘make life multiplanetary’ and understand ‘true nature of the universe’
    By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
    1 day ago
    Elon Musk sits with his fists together, looking up.
    Commentaryspace
    SpaceX will be worth trillions, but the space station that made it possible is worth even more — if we don’t squander it
    By Tejpaul BhatiaMay 20, 2026
    1 day ago

    Most Popular

    Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
    Success
    Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
    By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
    2 days ago
    Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
    Workplace Culture
    Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
    By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
    2 days ago
    Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
    Success
    Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
    By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
    13 hours ago
    Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
    Workplace Culture
    Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
    By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
    1 day ago
    Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
    Future of Work
    Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
    By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
    5 days ago
    A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
    Conferences
    A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
    By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
    1 day ago

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.