18 resources in the archive
VideoSam Altman explains how he decides to invest in a startup after 10 minutes
Sam Altman
Mar 2026 · 1 min read
What a 10-minute YC interview reveals about a founder's potential.
EssayAdvice for Ambitious 19 Year Olds
Sam Altman
4 min read
Build something real while staying around smart people, regardless of whether you choose college, a company, or a startup.
EssayProductivity
Sam Altman
10 min read
Choosing what to work on matters more than how fast you work, and small gains compound into massive results over time.
EssayResearchers and Founders
Sam Altman
1 min read
The common traits that distinguish the best researchers and founders, from problem taste to persistence to an action bias.
EssayStartup Playbook
Sam Altman
34 min read
A founder's guide to the core elements of starting a successful startup: idea, team, product, and execution.
EssayStartup Advice, Briefly
Sam Altman
4 min read
Start with a project, not a company, so you can find something great to work on without premature commitment.
EssayHard Startups
Sam Altman
2 min read
Altman's core thesis: ambition is a recruiting and gravitational advantage, not a liability.
EssayHow To Be Successful
Sam Altman
15 min read
Altman's personal filter for what's worth working on next.
EssayIdea Generation
Sam Altman
3 min read
How to get good at generating startup ideas through environment, tectonic shifts, and founder-company fit.
EssayHow Things Get Done
Sam Altman
3 min read
Things get done through focus on two or three priorities and strong personal relationships.
EssayHow to Hire
Sam Altman
12 min read
Hiring is the most important thing a founder does; spend a third to half your time doing it well.
EssayValue Is Created By Doing
Sam Altman
3 min read
Most work that feels busy—meetings, networking, talking—doesn't create value; only execution does.
EssaySuper-Successful Companies
Sam Altman
5 min read
The defining traits of founders whose startups become extremely successful.
EssayWhat I Wish Someone Had Told Me
Sam Altman
1 min read
How to start and scale ambitious things: recruiting, focus, speed, conviction, and fighting bureaucracy.
EssayEmployee Retention
Sam Altman
5 min read
Why keeping early employees matters more than hiring them, and three strategies that actually work.
EssayUpside Risk
Sam Altman
2 min read
Power law returns mean angel investors should focus on upside risk—missing great deals—not downside protection.
EssayThe Days Are Long But The Decades Are Short
Sam Altman
6 min read
Altman's closing line and title — the frame for the entire list of life lessons written on his 30th birthday.
EssayHow To Invest In Startups
Sam Altman
9 min read
How to succeed as a startup investor by accessing deals, picking great founders, and getting them to choose you.