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
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 Copy Share Image
Everyone starting a startup for the first time is scared, and everyone feels like a bit of an imposter. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
In YC's case, the number one cause of early death for startups is cofounder blowups. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Remember that the idea will expand, and become more ambitious as you go. — Sam Altman Ambition Copy Share Image
Don't let the company get distracted or excited about other things. A common mistake is that companies get excited by their own… — Sam Altman Business Copy Share Image
Once your product is working, switch from not caring about this to caring about this a little bit. — 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 Best way Copy Share Image
Because so few people make an actual long term commitment to what they're building, the ones that do have a huge advantage. — Sam Altman Advantage Copy Share Image
There's at least a hundred times more people with great ideas than people that are willing to put in the effort to… — Sam Altman Effort Copy Share Image
One thing that founders forget is that after they hire employees, they have to retain them. — Sam Altman Employee Copy Share Image
Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization as flat as you can. — Sam Altman Equity Copy Share Image
Whatever the founder cares about, whatever the founders think are the key goals, that's going to be what the whole company focusses… — Sam Altman Business 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 Customer Copy Share Image
Most founders have not managed people before, and they certainly haven't managed managers. — Sam Altman Entrepreneurship 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 Baby Copy Share Image
One thing that founders always underestimate is how hard it is to recruit. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
You have to find a small market in which you can get a monopoly and then quickly expand. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
You'll get more support on a hard, important, project than a derivative one. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
One of the pieces of advice that we give at YC is: try to work together on a project rather than just… — Sam Altman Advice Copy Share Image
You want an idea that turns into a monopoly. But you can't get a monopoly, in a big market right away; too… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
Be suspicious of any work that is not building product or getting customers. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
... you can think about that for everyone you hire: will I bet the future of this company on this single hire?… — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
You have to be intense. This only comes from the CEO, this only comes from the founders. — Sam Altman Ceo Copy Share Image
... but actually it sucks to have a lot of employees, and you should be proud of how few employees you have. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
In the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all over the place. — Sam Altman Compensation Copy Share Image
Every thing at a startup gets modeled after the founders. Whatever the founders do becomes the culture. — Sam Altman Culture Copy Share Image
Startups are very hard no matter what you do; you may as well go after a big opportunity. — 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 Decision Copy Share Image
I believe in fighting with investors to reduce the amount of equity they get and then being as generous as you possibly… — 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 Best things Copy Share Image
Many of the best YC companies have had phenomenally small number of employees for their first year, sometimes none besides the founders. — Sam Altman Company Copy Share Image
The track record for founders that don't already know each other is really bad. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
What being a founder means, is signing up for this years long grind on execution - and you can't outsource this. — Sam Altman Customer Copy Share Image
A single mediocre hire in the first five will often in fact kill a startup. — Sam Altman Customer 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 Customer 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
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
It really is true that you become an average of the people you spend the most time with. — Sam Altman Copy Share Image
