All Segments
Sam Altman's Whale AMA
21 segments available
Sam answers questions submitted on Whale. You can download the app here: http://apple.co/2jV1WrB --- 0:03 - What's the best thing you learned from Paul Graham? 0:18 - Out of all the founders that have manbuns, who is your favorite? 0:31 - What social problems would you like to see startups tackling in 2017? 0:50 - Advice for a high school senior interested in tech startups but bored out of their mind at school? Asking for a friend. 1:06 - What's your favorite play? I personally revere Hamlet. 1:20 - What are the top 3 emotions you felt in the last week? Is this consistent with most weeks? Do you actively cultivate/influence the emotions you feel? 2:02 - What's the 10 year goal for Y Combinator? And can you explain what value you think the YC network will bring over the same period? 2:21 - I heard once that you keep your to-do list on pen & paper. Why analog? 2:37 - What do you think about new startups copying the idea of existing startups? 2:53 - Have you ever taken nutritional supplements to boost your performance at work? If so which ones, did they work, and do you see this becoming a trend in Silicon Valley? 3:13 - Could you please tell us more about how YC is supporting ACLU? (Amazing news btw, thank you Sam!) 3:33 - What books do you recommend on learning machine learning? 3:49 - What should the world know about Y Combinator's Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) launching in 2017? 4:06 - Hi Sam! You seem to have a great answer to every question! What difficult question or issue are you yourself trying to figure out at the moment? Not counting Trump. 4:27 - After lots of hard work and some small customers, we're finally in talks with an ideal, very large fashion brand! Yay! What are your tips and hacks for enterprise sales? Esp. to cut sales cycle length 4:48 - What do you think of YC for small businesses? That'd really help US economy 5:09 - We are a european journalism startup looking into mass media solutions. Would you be able to help set up a U.S. company even before acceptance to YC? We want to save us the hassle of converting. 5:24 - What's the most # of times YC rejected someone's application before accepting them? 5:54 - What is your favorite Paul Graham essay and why? 6:12 - If mediocre engineers don't build great companies, how can current engineering students become the best engineers? 6:31 - How will you leverage your relationship with Peter Thiel to push back against harmful/dangerous policies of the Trump administration? And if you don't plan to leverage that relationship, why?
Segments Timeline
Learning to Start a Startup
Sam Altman shares the most valuable lesson he learned from Paul Graham: the ability to start a startup. He reflects on how this skill, once thought impossible, is now seen as challenging yet achievable, and expresses his desire to teach others this superpower.
"the best thing from I learned from program is how to start a startup I think it's one of the biggest superpowers in the world today before I met Paul I thought it was impossible now I think it's reall..."
Favorite Founder with a Man Bun
In a light-hearted moment, Sam Altman reveals his favorite founder with a man bun, Johnny Chin, highlighting the camaraderie and humor within the startup community.
"it Johnny chin is definitely my favorite founder with a man bun and uh probably everybody else's favorite founder with a manun too looks like I need that answer to be longer than it already was maybe ..."
Tackling Social Inequality
Sam discusses the pressing social issue of inequality that he hopes startups will address in 2017. He emphasizes the need for changes in education and social systems, and expresses interest in solutions like basic income.
"this is long enough the social problem that I would most like to see startups tackle in 2017 is the problem of equality I think we are moving towards a more and more unequal world and we need especial..."
Advice for Bored High School Seniors
Sam offers practical advice to high school seniors feeling disengaged with school. He encourages them to treat school like a job while pursuing exciting projects on the side, emphasizing that anyone can start a startup.
"in Solutions like basic income this is this is a tough one I would uh treat school as your day job and then with the rest of your time I would start working on projects that you're excited about uh th..."
Favorite Play: Macbeth
When asked about his favorite play, Sam Altman chooses Macbeth, praising its profound themes and memorable lines, while also admitting a preference for books over plays.
"a startup Hamlet's a very good choice my favorite play is probably MC Beth I think the life SP a walking Shadow Speech is amazing I also really like waiting for gdau um although TR truth be told I am ..."
Emotional Landscape
Sam shares his emotional state over the past week, expressing feelings of anxiety, sadness, and happiness, particularly in relation to the political climate. He contrasts this with his usual optimism and discusses the importance of community in fostering hope.
"told I am more into books than plays the top three emotions I have felt this week are uh anxiety sadness and then happiness I'm I'm super super nervous about the Trump presidency and how it's going so..."
10-Year Vision for Y Combinator
Sam outlines his ambitious 10-year goal for Y Combinator, envisioning a future where they successfully nurture the best young entrepreneurs and potentially get acquired by Whale.
"tremendously happy I I don't actively cultivate the emotions I feel I don't think I'm particularly good at emotion control but that's who I am and so be it what is the 10-year goal for y combinator um..."
The Power of Pen and Paper
Sam explains his preference for using pen and paper over digital tools for his to-do list, citing a personal workflow that enhances his productivity despite the trend towards digital solutions.
"can get acquired by whale I do you know I still find it faster for me to use this than to have it in a Word document uh I'm I try periodically to switch to a Word document and there's something that j..."
Innovation vs. Imitation in Startups
Sam discusses the importance of originality in startups, arguing that impactful companies often bring new ideas or innovative approaches to existing concepts, rather than simply copying others.
"pen and paper I don't think that's the way that you build a hugely successful company I think the the most impactful most important companies tend to have a pretty new idea or if it's an old idea they..."
Nutritional Supplements for Performance
Sam shares his experiences with nootropics and nutritional supplements, noting that while some didn't work for him, he found omega-3 and B12 beneficial for his performance as a vegetarian.
"way I've tried a bunch of the new tropics and I didn't think they worked or I had headaches I modaal definitely does work but it has side effects I didn't like I do have one tip though um I'm a vegeta..."
Supporting the ACLU
Sam discusses Y Combinator's commitment to supporting the ACLU, emphasizing their role in providing resources and funding to help the organization in its mission.
"boosted my performance we're giving them money um and we're going to provide resources to help them however they'd like uh obviously they run the ACLU uh I don't think we can give them too much advice..."
Recommended Reading for Machine Learning
Sam recommends 'Neural Networks and Deep Learning' by Michael Nielsen as a great starting point for those interested in learning about machine learning, highlighting its accessibility and quality.
"nonprofit or for-profit we fund for that matter the one that I would start with is called neural networks and deep learning it's by Michael neelsen it's available for free online um and I think it's a..."
Y Combinator's MOOC Launch
Sam announces the upcoming launch of Y Combinator's Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in April 2017, aiming to replicate the Y Combinator experience and foster a sense of community among participants.
"start with our Muk is going to start in early April it'll run through early June uh it's going to be awesome I'm going to teach it and we are going to try to replicate some of the Y combinator experie..."
Navigating Automation's Impact
Sam reflects on the challenges posed by automation to the economy and job market, admitting he doesn't have all the answers but recognizes the importance of addressing this complex issue.
"out I hope you like it the question I find myself struggling with the most is what will happen to the economy and to jobs as automation becomes more and more of a powerful force I don't think I have a..."
Keys to Successful Enterprise Sales
Sam shares two crucial insights for enterprise sales: the significance of personal relationships and the necessity of persistence, which can help shorten the sales cycle.
"and critically important the two best things I've learned about Enterprise sales uh or sales of any sort is one personal relationships are super important and two you have to be very persistent and I ..."
YC's Role for Small Businesses
Sam discusses the potential for Y Combinator to support small businesses, acknowledging the need for different financial instruments and encouraging others to pursue this impactful idea.
"well and keep the sales cycle length as short as possible I think this is a really great idea uh YC is not set up for this I think you need a very different Financial instrument a different way to mak..."
Setting Up a U.S. Company
Sam explains how Stripe Atlas simplifies the process of setting up a U.S. company for international startups, providing essential tools for business operations.
"big impact on the economy stripe has a product called stripe Atlas it makes it really easy to set up a us company get a US bank account everything else you need to do business uh and we recommend that..."
YC Rejections and Success Stories
Sam reveals that the most rejections a startup has faced before being accepted into Y Combinator is six, sharing that many successful companies, like Dropbox, have overcome initial setbacks.
"that don't live here I think the most number of of times someone who's been rejected before getting into YC is six uh that's the most I know of there could have been one with more um and many of our m..."
Favorite Paul Graham Essay
Sam shares his admiration for Paul Graham's essay 'How to Start a Startup,' describing its profound impact on his life and the lives of many aspiring entrepreneurs.
"if that's a problem for you you probably shouldn't be doing a startup anyway um but we love it when people reapply my favorite Paul Graham essay is definitely how to start a startup uh that changed my..."
Becoming a Great Engineer
Sam discusses the 10,000-hour rule for mastering skills, emphasizing that aspiring engineers should focus on building projects and collaborating with talented individuals to develop their expertise.
"think it's an answer to what to do with your career that really appeals to some people I believe in the 10,000 hours model for a lot of things and certainly I think for learning how to become a great ..."
Engaging with Different Perspectives
Sam emphasizes the importance of engaging with individuals holding different views, particularly in the context of political discourse, and the need to communicate effectively with those in power.
"happen overnight I I haven't been able to in the last week but I want to talk to him and my plan is to explain why I think specific policies are bad uh I think that it's important that we keep talking..."