The company’s CEO, Andy Jassy, coined the phrase in his most recent letter to shareholders, in which he detailed his thoughts on 2024 and how Amazon’s “unusually high quotient” of “Why” culture played a monumental role in building the company.

“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 wrote. “Amazon has an unusually high quotient of this WhyQ (let’s call it “YQ”), and it frames the way we think about everything that we do.”

While “YQ” may sound like a silly way to frame curiosity, Jassy is dead serious about its importance, going so far as to say that “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.”

Amazon declined Fortune’s request for comment.

Having a high ‘YQ’ worked out well for Jassy

Jassy revealed he’s always been unafraid to ask tough questions. 

While his peers have job-hopped and wondered whether the grass is greener on the other side, the 57-year-old has constantly asked himself how to water the side he’s already on—and that’s what’s kept him chipping away at his success and climbing Amazon’s ladder since 1997.

“My dad has told me that I was the kind of kid who kept asking why, perhaps to an annoying extent,” Jassy said. 

“When I first started working, I thought it was unfathomable that my dad worked at the same place for 45 years. How could that be? That’s so long. I used to tell my friends that would never be me.”

“Now, with almost 28 years and counting at Amazon, I have to answer those same friends with their own Why question.”

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Looking ahead, as Amazon looks to expand its footprint in areas like AI and streaming, Jassy said emphasizing the “why” behind career moves and goals will be even more important—a notion that’ll be especially critical for individuals navigating a tougher-than-ever job market.

“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 said.

How Jassy installs YQ

It’s not the first time Jassy has driven home the importance of attitude over aptitude. In fact, he told LinkedIn that controlling one’s temperament is critical—especially for Gen Zers looking to get ahead of the game in their careers. Unlike layoffs and pay raises, it’s the one thing that can be controlled.

“An embarrassing amount of how well you do, particularly in your twenties, has to do with attitude,” Jassy said. 

In the office, he’s creating policies that are enabling the YQ to flourish. For example, he highlighted Amazon’s banning of PowerPoint in internal meetings, writing press releases and frequently asked question documents before products are even coded, and being in-person as much as possible. 

Jeff Bezos in particular is known for his love of a “messy meeting.” With each get-together comes the need for a six-page memo to understand fully the topic that will be discussed, but beyond that, the now-executive chairman of Amazon says he wants ideas to flow—and it doesn’t matter how long the meeting goes.

“This might bother some regimented folks,” Bezos’s protégé, Jassy, added. “But, when we’re inventing, we accept the process being beautifully imperfect.” 

This all comes as Fortune reporting indicates Amazon’s famed 16 leadership principles have shown some signs of unraveling, with workers in part frustrated with return-to-office mandates. Jassy’s desire to transform Amazon to operate like the world’s largest startup may be a sign he is eager to get the train back on the tracks.

Amazon’s stock price is down by double digits (17% at the time of this article’s publication) in 2025, likely largely driven by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.