Be The Why Child

Children have a gift that adults often lose.

They ask why. Not once, not twice, but again and again until they land on a realization that feels true. Why is the sky blue? Why do we need to eat vegetables? Why can’t dogs talk? The questions might drive parents to the edge of their patience, but beneath that persistence lies something powerful. Children are not looking for surface-level answers. They are searching for meaning.

That exact relentless search for meaning is precisely what founders and creatives need today. Businesses are born at the speed of code. AI tools help launch startups before lunch, hype cycles carry them into the headlines by dinner, and by the weekend, they vanish into obscurity (painfully true). It is not because the technology is bad or the ideas are weak. It is because they never answered the question that matters most: why?

We hear so much about purpose that the word almost feels overused. Yet as the world shifts under our feet, it only grows more urgent. Attention is fleeting. Trust is fragile. People have more choices than ever, and they will not pause for something that cannot explain its reason for being.

Why for founders

Simon Sinek (a personal favorite) said it years ago, and it remains true: “Start with Why.” It is what keeps a company alive when trends fade and investors move on to the next shiny object. Founders who fail to define their “why” chase features, mimic competitors, or fall in love with short-lived trends. Customers sense it. Teams lose direction. Investors look elsewhere.

Without a clear “why,” a business may exist, but it rarely endures.

The companies that stand out in crowded markets are the ones that make their purpose obvious and undeniable. They give people a reason to not just buy, but to believe.

Why for designers

Designers face the same challenge. Every project is, at its core, a search for “why.” Why does this brand exist? Why should it feel distinct? Why should anyone stop, notice, and care?

Design without “why” is empty. It might look good on the surface, but it does not hold attention or earn loyalty. When designers push until they uncover the underlying reason, their work becomes more human and harder to ignore.

Design is an answer to a series of questions.

The wisdom of Y

There is something poetic about the fact that the most critical question for founders and designers ends with the letter Y. On its own, Y is already the most interesting letter in the English language. Visually, it embodies the very decision-making process it represents.

Look at it closely. You begin on a straight line, a single path forward. Then it splits into two branches. You cannot go both ways. You must choose. The shape of Y is a fork in the road, a visual metaphor for decision and direction.

That is exactly what “why” forces us to do. It asks us to choose. It pushes us to stop wandering down every possible path and instead commit to the one that matters. Just like the letter itself, “why” narrows the noise into a moment of clarity.

The alphabet gave us a perfect symbol for the work we do as creators and founders.

The question “why” ends not with finality, but with choice.

More relevant than ever

Yes, “why” has been talked about endlessly in books, podcasts, and keynotes. Some roll their eyes at the idea. However, the truth is that the faster the world changes, the more critical the question becomes. In a time when lives are packed with endless demands, when AI floods our feeds with sameness, and when every company claims to “innovate,” the only way to stand apart is to answer clearly: why does this matter?

The cliché is also the compass.

Be the why child

The best advice may come from the youngest among us. Children never stop asking why. They do not accept half-truths. They do not let you get away with easy answers. They keep pushing until they get to something real.

As designers, that is the same discipline we need. Keep asking. Why are we building this? Why will people care? Why should it exist at all? Every time you push further, the work becomes clearer. The fork in the road becomes easier to navigate. The Y shows you the path.

The world does not owe you its attention.

People are not waiting for your product, your campaign, or your brand to arrive. You have to give them a reason to stop and care. That reason is always found in the answer to why.

So, be like the child who refuses to stop asking. Let the letter Y remind you that clarity always comes at a fork in the road. Choose your path with purpose. And when you do, the work you create matters.

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Peace!