The Three Questions That Outlive the Answers

I once had a chance to talk to Marissa Mayer, Google’s first female engineer and the former CEO of Yahoo.

She shared a story that has stayed with her since her Stanford days. One of her professors had asked her three questions. They were simple, but not easy. She still carries them with her today:

1️⃣ What are you doing?

Where is your time and attention going right now?

2️⃣ What is the most important question in your field?

Among everything you could work on, what truly matters most?

3️⃣ If the answers aren’t the same, why?

What explains the gap between what you’re doing and what really matters?

Most of us stay busy without noticing that we’re not actually working on the most important thing. We chase deadlines. We execute someone else’s priorities. We pursue short-term wins.

But the real leverage comes from focusing on the core question—the one that could shape our future.

That’s where the difference lies:

• Busy ≠ Valuable

• Doing more ≠ Doing the right thing

• Time spent ≠ Time invested in the core question

So, ask yourself:

👉 Is what you’re doing today aligned with the most important question in your field?

👉 If not, do you have the courage to close that gap?

Good answers can expire.

But good questions endure.

I think these three belong in that rare category: questions that outlive the answers.

May we keep asking—and keep moving forward with courage.