Sam Altman - How to Succeed with a Startup

Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator, shares his thoughts on how you can succeed with a startup. Startup School is YC's free online program for founders. Sign up to access the full curriculum and over $100k in deals! www.startupschool.org/
Chapters (Powered by bit.ly/chapterme-yc) -
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:11 A product so good people tell friends
00:00:53 Easy to understand
00:01:13 Exponential growth in market
00:02:00 Real trends vs Fake trends
00:03:30 Evangelical founder
00:04:04 Ambitious vision
00:04:22 Hard startup vs Easy Startup
00:05:34 Confident and definite view of future (but flexible!)
00:06:10 Huge if it works
00:06:30 Team (non-obvious insights)
00:07:20 - Optimists!
00:07:47 - Idea generators
00:08:16 - ‘We’ll figure it out’
00:08:50 - ‘I’ve got it’
00:09:08 - Action bias
00:09:34 - The blessing or inexperience
00:10:16 Momentum
00:11:04 Competitive advantage
00:11:46 Sensible business model
00:12:04 Distribution strategy
00:12:20 Traits of best founders - Frugality, focus, obsession, love
00:12:46 Why startups win
00:13:13 - One no vs One yes
00:14:06 - Fast-changing markets
00:14:43 - Platform shifts
00:15:46 End

[@chapterme]

Chapters (Powered by ChapterMe) - 00:00 - Introduction 00:11 - A product so good people tell friends 00:53 - Easy to understand 01:13 - Exponential growth in market 02:00 - Real trends vs Fake trends 03:30 - Evangelical founder 04:04 - Ambitious vision 04:22 - Hard startup vs Easy Startup 05:34 - Confident and definite view of future (but flexible!) 06:10 - Huge if it works 06:30 - Team (non-obvious insights) 07:20 - - Optimists! 07:47 - - Idea generators 08:16 - - ‘We’ll figure it out’ 08:50 - - ‘I’ve got it’ 09:08 - - Action bias 09:34 - - The blessing or inexperience 10:16 - Momentum 11:04 - Competitive advantage 11:46 - Sensible business model 12:04 - Distribution strategy 12:20 - Traits of best founders - Frugality, focus, obsession, love 12:46 - Why startups win 13:13 - - One no vs One yes 14:06 - - Fast-changing markets 14:43 - - Platform shifts 15:46 - End

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@DiscJockeyJablan]

@@RR-et6zp You’d be surprised how uncommon “common” sense is.

[@flynntaggart7216]

​​@@RR-et6zp Karen's and specialy American Karen's doesn't have "common sense"

[@shaggyfeng9110]

@@RR-et6zp No, it is not. Common sense gives you wishful conclusions. Analytical thinking gets you factual thinking. If your common sense is good, you should be able to get a high income and a wonderful girlfriend and an easy life by default.

[@RR-et6zp]

@@shaggyfeng9110 its common sense

[@rickr937]

It is so crazy that basically every point he is talking about applies to himself in OpenAI now. Congrats Mr. Altman :)

[@vinosamari]

I literally came to type that. It's so relevant over time.

[@RonanMcGovern]

I wonder how he answers (answered) those questions for Worldcoin

[@adamfattal9602]

How is it crazy lol it's literally the same person

[@rickr937]

@@adamfattal9602 I did not mean LITERALLY crazy but rather impressive and admirable. You could infer this by the rest of my comment lol

[@adamfattal9602]

@@rickr937 Yeah Ik what you mean was just doing some youtube comment trolling lol. I wouldn't call it impressive, but certainly is admirable.

[@haroldpierre1726]

Now that he is at OpenAI, this visionary speech is proving prophetic. He has delivered everything he mentioned in this speech.

[@saiz996]

His entire speech is so dense, like he intuitivly think and speak this efficient. Probably for a lot programming and time being a CEO

[@wasimullah1875]

This lecture was like a crux of years of hard work. Incredible!

[@thetobyg]

I saw Jesus too!

[@stevenjulia4730]

This is what it is.

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@turolretar]

You can’t learn this stuff from a lecture

[@altaccount692]

@@RR-et6zp 20/20 hindsight, yes it seems like common sense but then how come you aren't out there saying the same stuff without having listened to this? This guy is in the industry and has had the experience to know which common sense is sensical and which isn't.

[@magicalpodium]

Wow. This guyyyy spoke everything into existence. I know there has been some drama at OpenAI lately, but the entire staff rallied around him. It tells me he is doing something right at the company.

[@usman6857]

Sam Altman honestly shared cores to succeed in competitive environment as well as personal adviosry. Steve Jobs also had such courage & expressed openly as mentor for all.

[@jamesmcginn6291]

Wow. This one video is better than 50 books. (And a lot easier to digest.)

[@marcelchastain8661]

Best video I’ve seen so far on the mindset needed for a successful startup.

[@XShollaj]

A true visionary. The principles he mentions are timeless

[@mallorygurecki983]

I have come to realize this man has so much wisdom and strength. He’s given me a lot to digest about the future.

[@MB561]

I'm critical about almost everyone. But sam altman is one of the few you just listen and learn. Sam is impressive. Such good knowledge comes from him.

[@adamlee9347]

Yeah Paul Graham chose the right guy

[@syedumair4622]

Of course he founded Open AI wih elon musk

[@red-baitingswine8816]

I'm old - neither entrepreneur nor programmer - but like to dream about new businesses/coops. Everything he (and Musk (inspiring)) says makes sense and is liberating/encouraging.

[@wdai03]

@@adamlee9347 pg really loves this guy lol.

[@Zo-hc2fn]

I am thinking about a new type of restaurants : eating-spots, in eating-spots, food keeps changing, chefs also rotate, this is opposed to current restaurants, thanks to this rotation of food and chefs, eating-spots are way more powerful than restaurants, along with that, there is an app, people vote for the food that will be cooked in the next days, menu is influenced by the live input of the people via an app.

[@daveb4446]

One of the best startup talks ever.

[@4inShopper]

I had to master frugality before my latest startup and now I got it! I was so comfortable until I pushed myself into an uncomfortable space (read: broke!!!) refusing work from anyone other than for my business, I learnt the value of a dollar, I know what things cost, and I think of how can I solve problems without spending a dime...and now I know I can win. If you are comfortable and starting a startup (have savings, rent paid for 3 months, etc.) you must figure out how to sacrifice that comfort for hunger because without that hunger you won't be BIG.

[@23rasputin]

A real value bomb. Lucidly explained and will surely act like wake up call for the hard days. Thanks YC and Thanks Sam.

[@quintacaylor1382]

This is really great stuff! Had to keep pausing to digest, then rewind to re-ingest. Listening all over again this weekend to take notes. Thanks so much for sharing such rich knowledge with the world

[@thetobyg]

You are not supposed to eat him!

[@King-xs4tq]

Bahi apne khubasurati ka raaz to batao

[@chasepalmieri]

Sam's been lifting some weights!

[@nykidls]

Or playing with his swords

[@kwamina_dare]

Tell me bout it!!!! Nice!!

[@elitem3]

No lie there he is looking jacked

[@timothy790110]

hes like Dinesh in s06

[@Ausiedundan]

@@nykidls playing with weighted swords lol

[@Sondre7]

Wow. This is extremely high quality, so many new and good ideas!

[@andresbf830]

Thank you Sam Altman in particular, and YCombinator in general for the effort you are putting into this MOOC. THIS IS GOLD ♥ ♥

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@dresnicetv4584]

Great punch line: Build what is cool; remarkable and easy to describe!

[@wallstreetvision]

Great summary and love the mental models Sam used here. Valuable themes to think about for any content creator or startup founder.

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@jasper5394]

your name is cringe

[@almanibamortezaafzali]

every year i came here and watch this. Thanks for this great lecture.

[@simonserna966]

I had to restart this video and start taking notes! I didn’t plan to stumble across absolute gold

[@giladbenyehuda8960]

Wow, I'm so glad I came across this, so helpful and well articulated!

[@ankitparker7234]

My favourite KZbin channel and the best KZbin channel of all all the time thank you Sam alt man

[@HussamMohsineh]

One of the most important topics ,, thank you :)

[@diegomiranda8516]

Great, thank you. Wistful to put everything on test the next winter. Congratulations for the hard work Sam (bigger and better).

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@Creative_Musician]

This is one of the most useful video available on KZbin for startups ❤

[@thesolpurpose3109]

The beginning minute

[@ahmadrafiwirana6315]

Sam always present the best idea. thank you

[@codemathics]

This is incredible. Thank you so much!

[@cslow758]

Best structured checklists for startups 👍👍

[@makabongwemetuso6977]

So not only should one have a great product, but foresight is also important

[@sashafroyland]

Thank you, Sam. Very helpful. A gut check to ensure we are aligned with asymmetric risk versus reward. I’ve got it!

[@dgaston]

Most impactful startup video I've seen!

[@CogitoRetroVirus]

So much knowledge destilled to a just one nice cup of tea 🍵. Blows my mind !

[@runggp]

so valuable! great thanks for sharing the talk!

[@pakaponwiwat2405]

This is pure gold. Thanks a lot!

[@PatrickTheobald]

Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts!

[@pathmonkofficial]

Great work. Amazing to see all the hard work gone into OpenAI.

[@hiteshita]

What a stunning speech by Sam Altman on Startups, He summed it up so well! 👏👏 No wonder Open AI has achieved enormous success in such a short period of time under his incredible leadership and of course the people/teams.

[@octachron_ios_drum_sequencer]

Oh yes, we can learn a lot from that. Thank you very much! 😊

[@guiller2371]

This is very insightful. Some of the points you present are those things we tend to believe to be true until we face them. For instance; what makes a great team.

[@paramutjeasakul5537]

Aged like a fine wine. Came back after ChatGPT went live!

[@SaribKhanUX]

He is really a straightforward person just like Chatgpt

[@hussamalshamaily5441]

Thank you for sharing these info.

[@anakobe]

And 4 years after, OpenAI's success is enough result to prove why these ideas work!

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@shreyasbhatt7112]

@@RR-et6zp where is your successful startup.

[@RR-et6zp]

@@shreyasbhatt7112 programming it. Life is a zero sum game. It is common sense

[@Asty__]

@@shreyasbhatt7112 Also want to state that it's not because we know something that we do it

[@salioubhouria]

Simple and to the point

[@nauticnomad7528]

This was so encouraging and also inspiring. Thank you Sam!

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@aalvarez2914]

@@RR-et6zpit’s common sense applied by someone who practices what he preaches. That’s a bit rarer.

[@abdulansaritanveer]

You are a tech guy and a good trainer.. You delivered your talk in the first sentence. Im a trainer too and I do the same

[@RR-et6zp]

its common sense

[@haotang1396]

Great to see him in OpenAI! One of the best lecture in YC history.

[@RiwenX]

Not-so-OpenAI.

[@huseyinasan]

Inspiring and informational, thank you very much Sam! :))

[@amdalasfoor]

loads of stuff are coming from Zero to One book by Peter Thiel.. which is AMAZING!! keep it up

[@chan90s]

This never gets old

[@kevinkang4427]

Love the speaker jumping straight into it

[@dorinbivolaru3330]

Thank you Sam. I've got it!

[@tropibell]

Thank you Sam!

[@helloryantanaka]

Great talk. Thank you for sharing.

[@NishantSharmaNT]

Brilliant talk. Loved it.

[@jaywalker11]

Thank you. This is amazing.

[@coulie27]

Simple and brilliant

[@anabernardo4430]

Bravo, Mr. Altman😊

[@tarunommadan]

Thanks Sam for this video.

[@hooverelondono9946]

Outstanding presentation outstanding

[@FreezySkillz]

Sam altman be hitting the gym!

[@mackinyoungin]

Incredible insights packed into such a concise presentation. All the more impressive in light of recent events with OpenAI. Colour me inspired.

[@jonassteinberg3779]

Sensible and highly distilled.

[@ClaudioPascual]

Easy to say when you are in the right place at the right time

[@shrewd7795]

Dude got fired and hired again and youtube decides to show this video to me out of no where.

[@GreenDriveIndia]

Same here

[@KrisVisva]

KZbin AI money-generating algorithm kicks in... soon this video will have a few million hits.

[@BrianSchoedel]

Great presentation and useful insights!

[@Shubhambapna-way2success]

Thanks Sam ❤️

[@vinaynk]

Watching this after the drama of the last weekend is quite funny.

[@The.Recommend]

Essential Handbook for beginners ❤

[@lenso010]

Very detailed insider video. Thanks

[@danielfolley]

Thanks Sam, this is gold!

[@rambapat588]

The thing he said about momentum is very true, I personally am finding it hard to put momentum back...

[@luskira]

This will have an influx of new people in no time

[@melkaouianas5633]

Everyone wil be watching Altman's videos now🎉

[@pigeon-fd5zq]

4 years after altman is now a hero congrats of his revolutionary idea chatgpt

[@DesignLead]

Thanks

[@shaykhchilly8529]

I love this! Thank you for making the obvious so clear. (Not a dig.) I’m genuinely smacking my forehead and saying of course! I have been over analyzing like a jackass.

[@noobkro]

Thank you!

[@obinnaaguwa]

It such a coincidence that I am seeing this video for the first time on the news of Sam’s ousting from OpenAI.

[@0xmmn]

legend.

[@observer372]

Great presentation style

[@selenale7748]

Thank Sam, amazing

[@ryancurryflynn]

I bet this guy will be really successful one day.

[@FelipeCM123]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[@tomeastman3687]

Boom! Sammy's been hitting the gym

[@mikail1026]

This man is a genius.

[@deonrichardson5250]

Love this!! 💯

[@Mk---]

this video is gold

[@dmmahmud]

Man who are ahead of time

[@jamessimon4804]

Pure gold

[@teriyakov]

Great talk!

[@FARMAD78]

This guy looks smart. Hope he starts a successful startup someday.

[@_Aarius_]

It's funny to see this vid recommended now, lol

[@yashgulave8366]

When building a team, don't just hire smart people. Of course, it's important to hire smart people, but they should also the people who care for the product and company.

[@shancunma6001]

Yep.

[@_sushantprabhu]

THIS IS GOLD, especially watching in 2022 Dec after ChatGPT was out!

[@uricalopez]

2B today Feb. 2024 🎉 congratulations