Jeff Bezos Says He Doesn't Feel The Need To Check His Phone Every 5 Minutes: 'Honestly, If Something Really Important Is Happening, Somebody Will Find Me'

Amazon.com Inc. Founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos is renowned for his approach to handling his vast responsibilities, which includes overseeing high-profile companies like Blue Origin and The Washington Post as well as his personal life. 

Contrary to what many might expect, he is not an advocate of multitasking. In 2017, he shared his mentality of focusing on one task at a time during an interview with his younger brother Mark Bezos at the Summit Series in Los Angeles. 

Bezos’s approach is characterized by his commitment to being present in the moment, whether in his professional or personal life. 

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“When I have dinner, I have dinner whether it’s with friends or with my family, and I like to be talking to the people I’m with," he said. "I like to do whatever I’m doing. I don’t like to multitask. It bothers me if I’m reading my email, I want to be really reading my email.”

Despite being a highly successful business owner and one of the wealthiest people in the world, he emphasizes the value of being completely engaged in significant moments. This commitment is particularly noteworthy given his status — it might be surprising to learn that he refrains from checking his phone during family dinners or dates. 

“Honestly, if something really important is happening, somebody will find me," he said. "It’s not like I have to check my text messages every five minutes.”

This approach stems from his early education in Montessori school, where his teacher had to physically move him to shift his focus to the next task. 

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“I don’t need discipline in order to not be checking my email," Bezos said. "For me, it’s very natural.” He practices what he describes as “serial” multitasking, concentrating on one thing at a time before moving on to the next.

His philosophy of work-life harmony rather than work-life balance reflects his belief that a harmonious relationship between work and personal life is more beneficial than attempting to balance the two. 

Elon Musk, another highly successful entrepreneur, practices what he calls “parallel processing” rather than traditional multitasking. He believes in working on multiple important projects but handling them in a focused manner rather than attempting to switch attention rapidly between tasks. Musk dedicates specific blocks of time and resources to each project, ensuring that progress is made on all fronts without diluting his attention too much. He has expressed mixed views on multitasking, cautioning against its pitfalls and emphasizing the importance of concentrating on critical tasks​​.

The contrast between Bezos and Musk illustrates that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing work and personal life. This insight is particularly relevant for people interested in investing in startups, where the potential to be part of the next Amazon or Tesla Inc. lies. 

Startups offer the opportunity to invest at the ground level in innovative and disruptive ideas that could shape the future. Just as Bezos and Musk have shown, successful investing in startups requires an approach that aligns with an investor’s philosophy, risk tolerance and goals.

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