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Sama <3 He stuck to the 99.9% gamble of setting money on fire that were startups and navigated to the big time(tm). Also, he helped lift Clerky, Triplebyte, Y

Sama <3 He stuck to the 99.9% gamble of setting money on fire that were startups and navigated to the big time(tm). Also, he helped lift Clerky, Triplebyte, YC, and may others pre, during, and post Loopt. Not many people (or no one) "deserves" success, but Sama brings a healthy dose of goodwill wherever he goes.

w3454 4y ago
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choppaface 4y ago
Triplebyte and Loopt both ended up selling / monetizing user data in ways the users really didn’t like.
jackblemming 4y ago
Are you kidding? He had one startup that was more or less a flop, then for some reason was appointed to a high position at y combinator, got lucky allocating capital (plenty of idiots can and have gotten lucky or were at the right place at the right time) and now is the CEO of OpenAI. This man is the definition of it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and that’s not a good thing.
- boeingUH60 4y ago
  Altman befriended Paul Graham, and his life blossomed…
- sacnoradhq 4y ago
  Even with the best ideas, execution, and teams 99.99% of startups are. That's okay. They're assumed to be experiments. There is no such thing as self-made. And there's nothing wrong with friends and networking, especially as some particular help or chance encounter could be pivotal to nudging onto something great. It's the trying and learning that are the gold to try again. Timing, honest perspective, persistence, and a measure of prepared luck seem to be more of it. There is no magic formula. I wish success to all who want it.
- sebzim4500 4y ago
  > got lucky allocating capital (plenty of idiots can and have gotten lucky or were at the right place at the right time) Not saying you're wrong, but this feels like an unfalsifiable hypothesis. How can anyone ever be successful enough that their success could not possibly be explained by luck. Does Musk count? Buffett?

w3454 4y ago

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choppaface 4y ago

Triplebyte and Loopt both ended up selling / monetizing user data in ways the users really didn’t like.

jackblemming 4y ago

Are you kidding? He had one startup that was more or less a flop, then for some reason was appointed to a high position at y combinator, got lucky allocating capital (plenty of idiots can and have gotten lucky or were at the right place at the right time) and now is the CEO of OpenAI. This man is the definition of it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and that’s not a good thing.

boeingUH60 4y ago
Altman befriended Paul Graham, and his life blossomed…
sacnoradhq 4y ago
Even with the best ideas, execution, and teams 99.99% of startups are. That's okay. They're assumed to be experiments. There is no such thing as self-made. And there's nothing wrong with friends and networking, especially as some particular help or chance encounter could be pivotal to nudging onto something great. It's the trying and learning that are the gold to try again. Timing, honest perspective, persistence, and a measure of prepared luck seem to be more of it. There is no magic formula. I wish success to all who want it.
sebzim4500 4y ago
> got lucky allocating capital (plenty of idiots can and have gotten lucky or were at the right place at the right time) Not saying you're wrong, but this feels like an unfalsifiable hypothesis. How can anyone ever be successful enough that their success could not possibly be explained by luck. Does Musk count? Buffett?