--- title: "7 Hire Quotes By Sam Altman" description: "7 Hire quotes by Sam Altman. Plus more from Sam Altman and more Hire sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/sam-altman-1494_business_later-you-should-learn-to-hire-fast-and_618263.png" --- > [Later, you should learn to hire fast and scale up the company, but in the early days the goal should be not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/later-you-should-learn-to-hire-fast-and-scale-up-the-company-but-in/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/sam-altman-1494_business_later-you-should-learn-to-hire-fast-and_618263.png) > [The second part of how to hire: try not to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-second-part-of-how-to-hire-try-not-to/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/sam-altman-1494_hire_the-second-part-of-how-to-hire-try-not-t_718159.png) > [The cost of getting an early hire wrong is really high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-cost-of-getting-an-early-hire-wrong-is-really-high/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/sam-altman-1494_cost_the-cost-of-getting-an-early-hire-wrong_1382368.png) > [Most of the best hires that I've made in my entire life have never done that thing before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-of-the-best-hires-that-i-ve-made-in-my-entire-life-have-never/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/sam-altman-1494_done_most-of-the-best-hires-that-i-ve-made-in_2099948.png) > [There are 3 things I look for when I hire people. Are they smart? Do they get things done? Do I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/there-are-3-things-i-look-for-when-i-hire-people-are-they-smart-do/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/sam-altman-1494_done_there-are-3-things-i-look-for-when-i-hir_2543596.png) > [... you can think about that for everyone you hire: will I bet the future of this company on this single hire?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-can-think-about-that-for-everyone-you-hire-will-i-bet-the-future/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/sam-altman-1494_bars_you-can-think-about-that-for-everyone-yo_2596859.png) > [At the beginning, you should only hire when you have a desperate need to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/at-the-beginning-you-should-only-hire-when-you-have-a-desperate-need/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/sam-altman-1494_birth_at-the-beginning-you-should-only-hire-wh_3203141.png) ## Other authors on Hire ## 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/hire/sam-altman/#itemlist", "name": "7 Hire Quotes By Sam Altman", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Later, you should learn to hire fast and scale up the company, but in the early days the goal should be not to hire. 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