Quote

1 of the hardest parts about being a founder, is that there are a 100 important things competing for your attention each day.

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
Important
Things
Founder
Founders
Competing
Hardest
Parts
Attention

More quotes by Sam Altman

Image
Press releases are easier to write than code, and that is still easier than making a great product.
Sam Altman
Image
Great execution towards a terrible idea will get you nowhere.
Sam Altman
Image
You have to let your team get all the credit for all the good stuff that happens, and you take responsibility for the bad stuff.
Sam Altman
Image
... you can think about that for everyone you hire: will I bet the future of this company on this single hire? And that's a tough bar.
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
If you want something in a deal, just ask for it.
Sam Altman
Image
Companies that I've been very involved with, that have had a very bad first hire in the first 3 or so employees never recover from it.
Sam Altman
Image
One thing that founders forget is that after they hire employees, they have to retain them.
Sam Altman
Image
You need this sort of a tailwind to make a startup successful.
Sam Altman
Image
The hard part is that this is a very fine line. There's right on one side of it, and crazy on the other.
Sam Altman
Image
In the early stage of a startup, hiring senior people is usually a mistake. You just want people that get stuff done.
Sam Altman
Image
You should think about for the next 10 years, you're going to be giving out 3-5% of the company every year.
Sam Altman
Image
I believe in fighting with investors to reduce the amount of equity they get and then being as generous as you possibly can with employees.
Sam Altman
Image
The most important thing is that there is clear reporting structure and everyone knows what it is.
Sam Altman
Image
The cost of getting an early hire wrong is really high.
Sam Altman
Image
One thing that founders always underestimate is how hard it is to recruit.
Sam Altman
Image
You should be able to describe any employee as an animal at what they do.
Sam Altman
Image
Some day everyone will find out everyone else's comp, if it's all over the place, it will be a complete meltdown disaster
Sam Altman
Image
Ideas by themselves are not worth anything, only executing well is what creates value.
Sam Altman
Image
Founders need to figure out what the message of the company is going to be.
Sam Altman