Quote

Startups are very hard no matter what you do you may as well go after a big opportunity.

Sam Altman

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Sam Altman
Age: 39
Born: 1985
Born: April 22
Entrepreneur
Chicago
Illinois
Samuel H. Altman
Samuel Altman
Hard
Opportunity
Bigs
May
Wells
Well
Matter

More quotes by Sam Altman

Image
So always keep momentum, it's this prime directive for managing a startup.
Sam Altman
Image
Most of the best hires that I've made in my entire life have never done that thing before.
Sam Altman
Image
A small communication breakdown is enough for everyone to be working on slightly different things. And then you loose focus.
Sam Altman
Image
In general, it's best if you're building something that you yourself need.
Sam Altman
Image
If you have several ideas that all seem pretty good, work on the one that you think about, when you're not trying to think about work.
Sam Altman
Image
Starting a business is like riding a wave between life and death. If you can hang on long enough, you're bound to succeed
Sam Altman
Image
The second part of how to hire: try not to.
Sam Altman
Image
Developing a personal connection with anyone you're trying to do a big deal with is really important.
Sam Altman
Image
You only get points when you make something the market wants. So if you work really hard on the wrong things, no one will care.
Sam Altman
Image
When lack of structure fails, it fails all at once. What works totally fine from 0-20 employees, is disastrous at 30.
Sam Altman
Image
So it's worth some real up front time to think through the long term value and the defensibility of the business.
Sam Altman
Image
Long term thinking is so rare anywhere, but especially in startups. This is a huge advantage if you do it.
Sam Altman
Image
The single word that matters most I think to keep the company productive as it grows is alignment.
Sam Altman
Image
You can create value with breakthrough innovation, incremental refinement, or complex coordination. Great companies often do two of these. The very best companies do all three.
Sam Altman
Image
If it takes more than a sentence to explain what you are doing, it's almost always a sign that what you are doing is too complicated.
Sam Altman
Image
If you pivot, do it fully and with conviction. The worst thing is to try to do a bit of the old and the new-it's hard to kill your babies.
Sam Altman
Image
So you should always stay on top of people's vesting schedules.
Sam Altman
Image
Unfortunately the trick to great execution is to say no a lot.
Sam Altman
Image
Most good founders that I know at any given time have a set of small overarching goals for the company that everybody in the company knows.
Sam Altman
Image
The biggest PR hack you can do, is not hire a PR firm.
Sam Altman