Sam Altman
![Sam Altman](/assets/img/authors/sam-altman.jpg)
Sam Altman
Samuel H. "Sam" Altmanis an American entrepreneur, programmer, venture capitalist and blogger. He is the president of Y Combinator and co-chairman of OpenAI...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinessman
CountryUnited States of America
business companies point technology
The point of an accelerator is to teach you about companies and business, not about technology.
buy freedom happiness lack money whether
Whether or not money can buy happiness, it can buy freedom, and that's a big deal. Also, lack of money is very stressful.
ambitious time work
Very ambitious startups often take a long time to work - or sometimes they take a very long time to look ambitious.
authority companies founders great history returning
There is a long history of founders returning to companies and doing great things. Founders are able to set the vision for their companies with an authority no one else can.
acquired companies few invest model
I don't invest in companies where my mental model is that they need to get themselves acquired in the next few years - or ever.
cool
Check-ins are cool, but kind of a pain.
companies people recommend
All companies that grow really big do so in only one way: people recommend the product or service to other people.
great likely
AI will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there'll be great companies.
behind computer good reduction screens
The reduction in compassion that happens when we're all behind computer screens is not good for the world.
generate good sustained
The only way to generate sustained exponential growth is to make whatever you're making sufficiently good.
believe
I believe that sexism in tech is a real problem.
beach dive europe island love scuba sit staying stuff summers
There is a lot of stuff I like. I love backpacking. I love going to an island where I can just sit on the beach and read or scuba dive and sail. I do a lot of that. I still go backpacking around Europe in the summers and staying in hostels. I love that.
hire sake
Don't hire for the sake of hiring. Hire because there is no other way to do what you want to do.
companies money ought profitable round urge
One of the things we urge Y-Combinator companies to do is to have profitability in grasp. If you need to get profitable before your A round of money, you ought to be able to do that.