You have to be decisive. Indecisiveness is a startup killer. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
You really want to know your cofounders for a while, ideally years. — Sam Altman Knows Copy Share Image
Great execution towards a terrible idea will get you nowhere. — Sam Altman Execution Copy Share Image
Unfortunately the trick to great execution is to say no a lot. — Sam Altman Diplomat Copy Share Image
Most startups are not nearly focussed enough. They work hard...maybe, but they don't work hard on the right things. — Sam Altman Enough Copy Share Image
In addition to relentlessly resourceful, you want a tough and a calm cofounder. — Sam Altman Calm 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
You want to continue to be run by great products, not process for it's own sake. — Sam Altman Continue 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 Divided Copy Share Image
It really is true that you become an average of the people you spend the most time with. — Sam Altman Average Copy Share Image
If you compromise in the first five, ten hires it might kill the company. — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
Stay focused and don't try to do too many things at once. Care about execution quality. — Sam Altman Care 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
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
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
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
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
You also really want to take the time to think about how the market is going to evolve.You need a market that's… — Sam Altman Bigs Copy Share Image
You can basically change everything in a startup but the market. — Sam Altman Change Copy Share Image
No matter what you choose, build stuff and be around smart people. — Sam Altman Matter Copy Share Image
At YC we have this public phrase, and it's relentlessly resourceful. — Sam Altman Phrases Copy Share Image
The startups that do well are the ones that are working all the time. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
Move fast. Speed is one of your main advantages over large companies. — Sam Altman Advantage Copy Share Image
