In general though, if you look at the track record of pivots, they don't become big companies. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
In general, it's best if you're building something that you yourself need. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
... if you talk to say any of the first 40 or 50 employees, they all feel like they were a part… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
As you grow, the productivity I think, goes down with the square of the number of employees if you don't make an… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
I care much more about the growth rate of the market than it's current size and I also care if there's any… — Sam Altman 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 Copy Share Image
You only get points when you make something the market wants. So if you work really hard on the wrong things, no… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If you don't love and believe in what you're building, you're likely to give up at some point along the way. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
No growth hack, brilliant marketing idea, or sales team can save you long term if you don't have a sufficiently good product. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Starting a business is like riding a wave between life and death. If you can hang on long enough, you're bound to… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If it takes more than a sentence to explain what you are doing, it's almost always a sign that what you are… — Sam Altman Copy Share 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 Copy Share Image
Aim to be the best in the world at whatever you do professionally. Even if you miss, you'll probably end up in… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If you ever take your foot off the gas pedal, things will spiral out of control, snowball downwards. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If you look at successful pivots, they almost always are a pivot into something that the founder wanted. Not a random made… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If someone is getting every decision wrong, that's when you need to act, and at that point it'll be painfully aware to… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If you're not in college and you don't know a cofounder, the next best thing I think is to go work at… — 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
If you compromise in the first five, ten hires it might kill the company. — Sam Altman 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
If you pivot, do it fully and with conviction. The worst thing is to try to do a bit of the old… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
So if you want a culture where people work hard, & pay attention to detail, focus on the customer, are frugal: you… — Sam Altman 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 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 Copy Share Image
If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Long term thinking is so rare anywhere, but especially in startups. This is a huge advantage if you do it. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
By the way, that's my number one piece of advice if you're going to join a startup: pick a rocket ship. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If you don't need it yourself, and you're building something that someone else needs, realize you're at a big disadvantage. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
If you have several ideas that all seem pretty good, work on the one that you think about, when you're not trying… — Sam Altman 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 Copy Share Image
A winning team feels good and keeps winning. A team that hasn't won in a while gets demotivated and keeps losing. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You're either not hiring at all or it's probably your single biggest block of time. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up. — Sam Altman 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
I prefer to invest in a company that's going after a small but rapidly growing market than a big but slow growing one. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Startups are not the best choice for work-life balance, and that's sort of just the sad reality. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
