--- title: "2 Compensation Quotes By Sam Altman" description: "2 Compensation quotes by Sam Altman. Plus more from Sam Altman and more Compensation sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fd/sam-altman-1494_compensation_in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s_1363382.png" --- > [In the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all over the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s-compensation-is-whatever-you/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fd/sam-altman-1494_compensation_in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s_1363382.png) > [As you grow, it feels hopelessly corporate but it really is worth putting in place these compensation bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/as-you-grow-it-feels-hopelessly-corporate-but-it-really-is-worth/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/sam-altman-1494_band_as-you-grow-it-feels-hopelessly-corporat_2973995.png) ## Other authors on Compensation - [Steven Magee 10 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/steven-magee/) - [Ralph Waldo Emerson 10 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/ralph-waldo-emerson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-sunday-adelaja-87912.jpg) Sunday Adelaja 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/sunday-adelaja/) - [Warren Buffett 5 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/warren-buffett/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-marianne-williamson-63745.jpg) Marianne Williamson 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/marianne-williamson/) ## More by Sam Altman > [The best people know that they should join a rocketship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-best-people-know-that-they-should-join-a-rocketship/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You really want to know your cofounders for a while, ideally years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-really-want-to-know-your-cofounders-for-a-while-ideally-years/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Employees will only add more value over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/employees-will-only-add-more-value-over-time/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One thing I tell startups all the time is that the best way to grow is to make their product better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-thing-i-tell-startups-all-the-time-is-that-the-best-way-to-grow/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [A winning team feels good and keeps winning. A team that hasn't won in a while gets demotivated and keeps losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/a-winning-team-feels-good-and-keeps-winning-a-team-that-hasn-t-won-in/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You're either not hiring at all or it's probably your single biggest block of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-re-either-not-hiring-at-all-or-it-s-probably-your-single-biggest/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-thing-that-kills-startups-at-some-level-is-the-founders-giving-up/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Execution gets divided into two key questions: 1) can you figure out what to do and 2) can you get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/execution-gets-divided-into-two-key-questions-1-can-you-figure-out/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [If you want something in a deal, just ask for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-want-something-in-a-deal-just-ask-for-it/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Most things are not as risky as they seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-things-are-not-as-risky-as-they-seem/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [I prefer to invest in a company that's going after a small but rapidly growing market than a big but slow growing one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/i-prefer-to-invest-in-a-company-that-s-going-after-a-small-but/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are not the best choice for work-life balance, and that's sort of just the sad reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-not-the-best-choice-for-work-life-balance-and-that-s/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One of the biggest advantages that start ups have is execution speed and you have to have this relentless operating rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-of-the-biggest-advantages-that-start-ups-have-is-execution-speed/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One of the keys to focus, and why I said cofounders that aren't friends really struggle, is that you can't be focused without good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-of-the-keys-to-focus-and-why-i-said-cofounders-that-aren-t/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are very hard no matter what you do; you may as well go after a big opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-very-hard-no-matter-what-you-do-you-may-as-well-go-after/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/sam-altman/#itemlist", "name": "2 Compensation Quotes By Sam Altman", "numberOfItems": 2, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all over the place.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Altman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s-compensation-is-whatever-you/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fd/sam-altman-1494_compensation_in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s_1363382.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fd/sam-altman-1494_compensation_in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s_1363382.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fd/sam-altman-1494_compensation_in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s_1363382.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all…” — Sam Altman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As you grow, it feels hopelessly corporate but it really is worth putting in place these compensation bands.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Altman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/as-you-grow-it-feels-hopelessly-corporate-but-it-really-is-worth/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/sam-altman-1494_band_as-you-grow-it-feels-hopelessly-corporat_2973995.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/sam-altman-1494_band_as-you-grow-it-feels-hopelessly-corporat_2973995.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/sam-altman-1494_band_as-you-grow-it-feels-hopelessly-corporat_2973995.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As you grow, it feels hopelessly corporate but it really is worth putting in place these compensation bands.” — Sam Altman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/sam-altman/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/sam-altman/", "name": "Compensation Quotes by Sam Altman", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/sam-altman/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fd/sam-altman-1494_compensation_in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s_1363382.png" }, "description": "2 Compensation quotes by Sam Altman. 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