Sam Altman

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Acknowledge the gradual merge

  Strategy

  Technological shifts often happen as gradual processes rather than single moments, making them harder to notice until they are deeply integrated.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The Merge, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

• Focus on merit over networking

  Fundraising

  Do not waste time seeking warm introductions if the funding model is designed to evaluate cold applications based on merit.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Applying to YC, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

• The Hard Company Advantage

  Hiring

  Starting a company that solves a difficult, meaningful problem is often easier because it attracts high-quality talent who want to be part of a significant mission.

  1 more supporting quote is in the member records.

  Source Hard Tech is Back, 2016  (opens in a new tab)

• Analyze the tipping point

  Strategy

  A product becomes undervalued when its cost and experience reach a tipping point that drastically increases individual customer spending.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Uber vs Car Ownership, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

• Avoid the middle ground

  Strategy

  Impactful companies usually start either as a 'toy' that people love or as a hyper-ambitious project; intermediate goals often fail to change the world.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Stupid Apps and Changing the World, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

• Focus on asset utilization

  Strategy

  Efficiency in business can be found by taking fixed assets that are sitting idle and finding ways for more people to use them.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Airbnb and San Francisco, 2015  (opens in a new tab)

• Delegate based on interest

  Management

  People are most productive when doing what they like, so delegate tasks to those who actually enjoy and are good at them.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Productivity, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

• Write code and talk to users

  Product

  Early-stage startups should ignore administrative details like corporate structures or bookkeeping and spend all time on product and growth.

  Supporting quotes

  • “Most founders know what to do; they just don't know what not to do.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Expect turnover during rapid scaling

  Hiring

  Startups often see significant team turnover at each new level of scale as interests naturally diverge and the company's needs evolve.

  Supporting quotes

  • “I try to remember that on any given Friday, when seven things go badly wrong by 1 pm.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Treat crises as warnings

  Mindset

  View current challenges as preparation for potentially larger future threats rather than isolated incidents.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The Virus, 2020  (opens in a new tab)

• Acknowledge systemic fragility

  Risk

  Understand that complex systems can suffer from cascading effects that go beyond the initial trigger.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The Virus, 2020  (opens in a new tab)

• Distinguish equity from debt-like structures

  Fundraising

  High valuations in late-stage private companies are often misleading because the deal terms, like liquidation preferences, make them function more like debt than true equity.

  Supporting quotes

  • “the best companies usually have the most common-stock-like terms (and "the best companies" are never the ones that seem overpriced for long anyway”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Proactive Safety Research

  Strategy

  Technical research for AI safety should start long before the technology is fully realized, as it is distinct from the work of making AI functional.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Machine intelligence, part 2, 2015  (opens in a new tab)

• Regulation via Financing

  Capital allocation

  Regulation can be effectively enforced through venture capital and large tech companies, as most legitimate entities prefer to comply with major laws.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Machine intelligence, part 2, 2015  (opens in a new tab)

• Prioritize creation over consumption

  Creativity

  Design tools that encourage users to be active creators rather than passive consumers to ensure higher long-term satisfaction.

  Source blog.samaltman.com/sora-2  (opens in a new tab)

• Acknowledge the Big Truth

  Strategy

  Even when opposing a leader, one should acknowledge the valid problems they have identified that others might be ignoring.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Trump, 2016  (opens in a new tab)

• Value uncomfortable diversity

  Team

  True diversity includes engaging with unpopular or opposing ideas, which is essential for the long-term health of an organization or society.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The 2016 Election  (opens in a new tab)

• Enable Universal Equity Ownership

  Strategy

  The best way to improve capitalism is to ensure every citizen benefits directly as an equity owner of the overall economy's growth.

  Supporting quotes

  • “The best way to increase societal wealth is to decrease the cost of goods, from food to video games. Technology will rapidly drive that decline in many categories.”

    “We will discover new jobs-we always do after a technological revolution-and because of the abundance on the other side, we will have incredible freedom to be creative about what they are.”

  1 more supporting quote is in the member records.

• Embrace Internal Software

  Technology

  Investing in great internal software can be a secret weapon for organizational efficiency and success, even for non-software companies.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source 2017 YC Annual Letter  (opens in a new tab)

• Progress changes perception

  Strategy

  A startup that looks weak today can become highly attractive after six months of tangible progress.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The Worst Part of YC, 2014  (opens in a new tab)