At YC we have this public phrase, and it's relentlessly resourceful. — Sam Altman Phrases Copy Share Image
No matter what you choose, build stuff and be around smart people. — Sam Altman Matter Copy Share Image
You can basically change everything in a startup but the market. — Sam Altman Change 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
More important than starting any startup, is getting to know a lot of potential co-founders. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship 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 Communicate 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
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 Bits 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 Easy Copy Share Image
One of the keys to focus, and why I said cofounders that aren't friends really struggle, is that you can't be focused… — Sam Altman Communication Copy Share Image
We've seen a lot of data at YC now, and the most successful companies and the ones where the investors do the… — Sam Altman Company Copy Share Image
Study the unusually successful people you know, and you will find them imbued with enthusiasm for their work which is contagious. Not… — Sam Altman Contagious Copy Share Image
The role of the board is advice and consent. If the CEO does not lay out a clear strategy and tries to… — Sam Altman Advice Copy Share Image
You want an idea about what you can say. I know it sounds like a bad idea but here's specifically why its… — Sam Altman Asks Copy Share Image
These all sounded really bad, but they turned out to be good. If they had sounded really good, there would have been… — Sam Altman Be good Copy Share Image
You can create value with breakthrough innovation, incremental refinement, or complex coordination. Great companies often do two of these. The very best… — Sam Altman Best company Copy Share Image
I really believe that the single hardest thing in business is building a company that does repeatable innovation... and just has this… — Sam Altman Believe Copy Share Image
Unfortunately the trick to great execution is to say no a lot. — Sam Altman Diplomat Copy Share Image
Great execution towards a terrible idea will get you nowhere. — Sam Altman Execution Copy Share Image
You really want to know your cofounders for a while, ideally years. — Sam Altman Knows Copy Share Image
The idea should come first, the startup should come second. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
You have to be decisive. Indecisiveness is a startup killer. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
You need this sort of a tailwind to make a startup successful. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
In YC experience, 2 or 3 co-founders seems to be about perfect. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
