In Amazon‘s relentless culture of innovation, one skill stands above all others according to CEO Andy Jassy – the ability to persistently ask “why.” This questioning mindset, which Jassy has dubbed “WhyQ” or “YQ,” has become a fundamental pillar of Amazon’s $2 trillion success story. “Amazon has an unusually high quotient of this WhyQ, and it frames the way we think about everything that we do,” Jassy wrote in his recent shareholder letter.
“Now, with almost 28 years and counting at Amazon, I have to answer those same friends with their own Why question,” Jassy wrote in his recent shareholder letter where he emphasized the importance of what he calls “WhyQ” or “YQ” — the ability to question everything.
The 57-year-old chief executive, who took the helm from founder Jeff Bezos in 2021, believes this questioning mindset has been crucial to both Amazon’s $2 trillion success and his personal career trajectory since joining the company in 1997.
Why the “WhyQ” is important for Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
“We ask why, and why not, constantly. It helps us deconstruct problems, get to root causes, understand blockers, and unlock doors that might have previously seemed impenetrable,” Jassy explained.
This tendency to question started early in his life. “My dad has told me that I was the kind of kid who kept asking why, perhaps to an annoying extent,” he admitted in his letter.
Jassy believes Amazon’s corporate culture intentionally nurtures this questioning mindset through specific practices, including banning PowerPoint presentations in meetings and writing press releases for products before they’re even developed.
“This might bother some regimented folks,” he acknowledged. “But, when we’re inventing, we accept the process being beautifully imperfect.”
The chief executive has previously emphasized the importance of attitude in career development, particularly for younger workers. “An embarrassing amount of how well you do, particularly in your twenties, has to do with attitude,” Jassy told LinkedIn in an earlier interview.
Looking ahead to Amazon’s expansion into AI and streaming, Jassy believes this questioning approach will become even more vital: “In the nearly 28 years I’ve been at Amazon, the biggest difference in the relative growth of companies and individuals has been their aptitude to learn.”
He argues that maintaining a high “YQ” isn’t just nice to have but essential for organizational success: “It needs to be built deeply into your culture and leadership team, and has to be fiercely protected over time if you’re lucky enough to be successful.”
