Business Quote by Sam Altman
“Don't let the company get distracted or excited about other things. A common mistake is that companies get excited by their own PR.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Y Combinator Startup School, 2022
Companies should avoid being distracted by hype and focus on core objectives, not PR.
In simple terms: Stay focused on real goals, not publicity.
Key Takeaway
Maintain disciplined, mission‑centric focus.
Themes
business
focus
strategy
Mood
cautious
strategic
Type
business
leadership
When to use this quote
- product development
- marketing planning
- team meetings
- investor pitches
Key Concepts
organizational behavior
attention economics
Questions to Reflect On
- What distractions currently pull your team off course?
- How can you measure progress beyond hype?
A Different Perspective
Excessive focus on PR can waste resources and mislead stakeholders.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)