Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI and former president of Y Combinator, is one of Silicon Valley's most influential figures. Through his essays, interviews, and public speaking, he has shared a wealth of knowledge on startups, artificial intelligence, productivity, and the future.

On Startups and Entrepreneurship

  1. On the importance of product: "A great product is the only thing that will lead to long-term success."
    • Source: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice. link
  2. On what makes a successful startup: "I think the three ingredients for a really successful startup are a great idea, a great team, and a great product."
    • Source: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice. link
  3. On the CEO's role: "The CEO has five jobs: set the vision, raise money, evangelize the company, hire and manage the team, and make sure the entire organization executes."
    • Source: Sam Altman, "The Job of a CEO" (Lecture). link
  4. On focusing on users: "The best startups are the ones that are obsessed with their users."
    • Source: Sam Altman's Blog, "The Post-Y Combinator Survival Guide". link
  5. On growth: "Growth is the engine of a startup. If you’re not growing, you’re dying."
    • Source: Sam Altman's Blog, "The Only Thing That Matters". link
  6. On founder relationships: "More startups die from founder disputes than from any other single cause."
    • Source: Sam Altman's Blog, "Founder Agreements". link
  7. On having a clear mission: "A clear mission is a powerful thing. It’s a North Star that guides every decision."
    • Source: Sam Altman's interview with Reid Hoffman on Masters of Scale. link
  8. On doing things that don't scale: "Don’t be afraid to do things that don’t scale. It’s often the only way to get started."
    • Source: This is a core Y Combinator principle, frequently discussed by Altman.
  9. On the power of a monopoly: "The best startups are the ones that have a path to a monopoly."
    • Source: Lecture from "How to Start a Startup" class at Stanford. link
  10. On being a contrarian: "You have to be a little bit of a contrarian to be a successful founder."
    • Source: Sam Altman's interview on "The Knowledge Project" podcast. link
  11. On fundraising: "The best time to raise money is when you don’t need it."
    • Source: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice. link
  12. On competition: "The best way to beat the competition is to be a better version of yourself."
    • Source: A common theme in Altman's advice to founders.
  13. On momentum: "Momentum is a fragile thing. Once you have it, you have to do everything you can to keep it."
    • Source: Sam Altman's Blog, "Startup Advice, Briefly". link
  14. On hiring: "The team you build is the company you build."
    • Source: Sam Altman's Blog, "How to Hire". link
  15. On being default alive: "The most important thing for a startup is to not die."
    • Source: This is a concept popularized by Paul Graham and frequently emphasized by Altman.

On Artificial Intelligence and the Future

  1. On the mission of OpenAI: "The mission of OpenAI is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity."
    • Source: OpenAI's website and charter. link
  2. On the potential of AI: "AI will be the most transformative technology humanity has ever created."
    • Source: Numerous interviews and public statements.
  3. On the importance of safety in AI development: "As we create more powerful AI, we need to be very careful about how we deploy it."
    • Source: Sam Altman's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. link
  4. On the societal impact of AI: "AI is going to change the world in a way that is hard to imagine."
    • Source: Sam Altman's interview with Kara Swisher on "Sway". link
  5. On the future of work: "AI will automate many jobs, but it will also create new ones."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "Moore's Law for Everything". link
  6. On the need for a new social contract: "We need to think about a new social contract for a world with superintelligence."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "American Equity". link
  7. On the goal of AGI: "The goal of AGI should be to help humans flourish."
    • Source: OpenAI's mission and public statements.
  8. On the importance of broad distribution of AI benefits: "The benefits of AI should be broadly shared."
    • Source: OpenAI's charter. link
  9. On the rapid pace of AI development: "The pace of AI development is accelerating."
    • Source: Sam Altman's interview on "The Lex Fridman Podcast". link
  10. On the need for public input on AI: "We need a broad public conversation about the future of AI."
    • Source: Sam Altman's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. link

On Productivity and Success

  1. On compounding yourself: "Compound yourself. It’s the idea that small, consistent efforts over a long period of time can lead to massive results."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  2. On having a bias for action: "It’s better to be prolific than perfect."
    • Source: A recurring theme in his advice.
  3. On the importance of focus: "Focus is a superpower. It’s the ability to work on what’s most important without distraction."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "Productivity". link
  4. On working hard: "You can get to about the 90th percentile in your field by working either smart or hard, which is still a great accomplishment. But to get to the 99th percentile, you need to do both."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  5. On taking care of yourself: "You can’t do great work if you’re not healthy."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "Productivity". link
  6. On the importance of a great team: "A great team is the single biggest asset a company can have."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How to Hire". link
  7. On the power of optimism: "Self-belief is incredibly powerful. The most successful people I know believe in themselves almost to the point of delusion."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  8. On being internally driven: "The most successful people are internally driven."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  9. On the importance of sales skills: "Sales skills are critical. You have to be able to convince people of your vision."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  10. On being a learning machine: "The most successful people are learning machines."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link

On Life and Thinking

  1. On having a clear vision for your life: "Have a clear vision for your life. It’s hard to get where you want to go if you don’t know where that is."
    • Source: A consistent theme in his writings and interviews.
  2. On being bold: "It’s easier to do a hard startup than an easy startup. People want to be part of something exciting and important."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "The Playbook". link
  3. On the importance of being misunderstood: "It’s ok to be misunderstood for a long time."
    • Source: A principle often discussed in the context of contrarian ideas.
  4. On thinking for yourself: "Think for yourself. Don't just accept what you're told."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  5. On the power of a network: "A strong network is one of the most valuable things you can have."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  6. On being generous: "Be generous. Help people. It will come back to you."
    • Source: A value frequently expressed in his advice to founders.
  7. On taking risks: "You have to be willing to take risks to do great things."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "How To Be Successful". link
  8. On the importance of a long-term perspective: "Think about what you want your life to look like in 10 or 20 years, and start working towards that now."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "The Days are Long but the Decades are Short". link
  9. On the value of reading: "Read a lot. It’s one of the best ways to learn."
    • Source: A frequently mentioned habit in his productivity advice.
  10. On the power of writing: "Writing is a great way to clarify your thinking."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "Productivity". link
  11. On being a good person: "Be a good person. It’s the most important thing."
    • Source: A value often expressed in his personal reflections.
  12. On the importance of being happy: "It’s hard to do great work if you’re not happy."
    • Source: Sam Altman's essay "Productivity". link
  13. On the journey, not the destination: "The journey is the reward."
    • Source: A sentiment he has expressed in various forms.
  14. On making a difference: "Try to leave the world a little better than you found it."
    • Source: A core motivation behind his work with OpenAI.
  15. On the future: "The future is going to be amazing. I’m incredibly optimistic."
    • Source: A consistent theme in his public statements.