"Manager approval" is no big deal. It's a rubber stamp. It's not like you have to write a report justifying why you need it. A good SDM should rubber stamp it,

"Manager approval" is no big deal. It's a rubber stamp. It's not like you have to write a report justifying why you need it. A good SDM should rubber stamp it, at which point everything is clear. My first director at AMZN explained this to me early. Don't ask if you can have something. Establish that you need it, confirm with your manager that you need it, then go to people and say "I need this. I have manager approval." Don't ask, tell.