In addition to relentlessly resourceful, you want a tough and a calm cofounder. — Sam Altman Calm Copy Share Image
Execution gets divided into two key questions: 1) can you figure out what to do and 2) can you get it done. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You want an idea that not many other people are working on, and it's okay if it doesn't sound big at first. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You want to continue to be run by great products, not process for it's own sake. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
A third advantage of mission oriented companies, is that people outside the company are more willing to help you. — Sam Altman Advantage Copy Share Image
More important than starting any startup, is getting to know a lot of potential co-founders. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
A board member of mine used to say sales fix everything in a startup, and that is really true. — Sam Altman Board members Copy Share Image
You have to save the vision speeches for when the company is winning. When you're not winning, you just have to get… — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
Later, you should learn to hire fast and scale up the company, but in the early days the goal should be not… — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
If someone is difficult to talk to, if someone cannot communicate clearly, it's a real problem in terms of their likelihood to… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
For early employees you want people that have somewhat of a risk-taking attitude. — Sam Altman Attitude Copy Share Image
You think you have this great idea that everyone's going to come join, but that's not how it works. — Sam Altman Great idea Copy Share Image
Everyone starting a startup for the first time is scared, and everyone feels like a bit of an imposter. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
It's really easy to get PR with no results & it actually feels like you're really actually cool, but in a year… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
We hear again and again from founders, that they wish they had waited to start a startup until they came up with… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
For most software startups, this translates to keep growing. For hardware startups, it translates to don't let your ship date slip. — Sam Altman Computers Copy Share Image
Don't let the company get distracted or excited about other things. A common mistake is that companies get excited by their own… — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
Once your product is working, switch from not caring about this to caring about this a little bit. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Because so few people make an actual long term commitment to what they're building, the ones that do have a huge advantage. — Sam Altman Advantage Copy Share Image
There's at least a hundred times more people with great ideas than people that are willing to put in the effort to… — Sam Altman Effort Copy Share Image
One thing I tell startups all the time is that the best way to grow is to make their product better. — Sam Altman Best way Copy Share Image
One thing that founders forget is that after they hire employees, they have to retain them. — Sam Altman Employee Copy Share Image
Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization as flat as you can. — Sam Altman Equity Copy Share Image
In YC's case, the number one cause of early death for startups is cofounder blowups. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Remember that the idea will expand, and become more ambitious as you go. — Sam Altman Ambition Copy Share Image
You'll get more support on a hard, important, project than a derivative one. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You have to find a small market in which you can get a monopoly and then quickly expand. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
One of the pieces of advice that we give at YC is: try to work together on a project rather than just… — Sam Altman Advice Copy Share Image
If someone is choosing between joining McKinsey or your startup it's very unlikely they're going to work out at the startup. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
Whatever the founder cares about, whatever the founders think are the key goals, that's going to be what the whole company focusses… — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
If you pivot, do it fully and with conviction. The worst thing is to try to do a bit of the old… — Sam Altman Baby Copy Share Image
Most founders have not managed people before, and they certainly haven't managed managers. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
One thing that founders always underestimate is how hard it is to recruit. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
Wait to start a startup until you come up with an idea that you feel compelled to explore. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You need to have a culture where people have very high quality standards in everything the company does, but still move quickly. — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
The company just needs to see you as like this maniacal execution machine. — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
Companies that I've been very involved with, that have had a very bad first hire in the first 3 or so employees… — Sam Altman Company Copy Share Image
Just put a little pin in your mind: when you cross 50 employees, there are a new set of HR rules that… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You're saying no ninety-seven times out of a hundred, and most founders find they have to make a very conscious effort to… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Great execution is at least 10 times more important and a 100 times harder than a good idea… — Sam Altman Execution Copy Share Image
