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Ask HN: How did Mira Murati rise to OpenAI's CTO role?
Based on her LinkedIn profile she doesn't seem to have much experience in ML/AI and barely any experience in programming. She seems to have played the role of product manager most of the time. How does someone like her rise to CTO? Genuinely curious. I've aspired to be CTO but have been repeatedly told that the position needs a mix of business, technical and management acumen. How did she acquire all of this so fast? Is she wicket smart?
- jsjsof 4y agoSoft skills over hard skills?
- v0idzer0 4y agoThere are many ways to skin a cat
- stuxnet79 4y agoLikely the same reason that Altman is CEO without having extensive ML/AI experience: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34471720 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34471720
- norulez 4y agoThere are no specific rules or tests to become a CTO. Anyone can hold that position. I know of a company where the CEO and CTO were appointed to tick the diversity box. In fact, US government has even gone to the extent of employing in their administration, a luggage thief, just in the name of diversity. Not joking, search for Sam Brinton who was the head of nuclear waste management in US administration.
- alxmng 4y agoA quick search reveals they were fired because of the luggage theft.
- aborsy 4y agoThe CEO doesn’t have AI experience either. In this case, diversity could have played a major role.
- butternoodle 4y agoThat's an interesting take. What makes you think diversity played a major role? Does this happen often in your country? Where I am "diversity" hiring would be regarded as dysfunctional at best.
- aborsy 4y agoWhat makes me to think that diversity could have played a major factor is my observation with similar hires in other places, my experience in the hiring committees recently (members saying there is pressure to hire a female), and the fact that this person’s qualifications seem to be less than those of others excepted to be available for the role of CTO at such renowned company.
- akg_67 4y agoMajority of good CTOs I have met are good communicator and persuader first and good technologist second. You can be the technology genius but if you are unable to communicate and persuade effectively, you're not going to last long.
- paulcole 4y agoKind of disheartening to see multiple comments here hinting or outright stating that this was a diversity hire. If we were talking about Mike Murray, I doubt those same people (possibly anyone) would be saying he got the job because of systemic racism, injustice, and inequity.
- eaenki 4y agoprolly cus shes kinda good looking to sam