Why is he on our inspiration board?

Sam went to my rival high school, in St. Louis, John Burrows. I know it's a long shot to get him on the podcast, but maybe a friend of a friend has pull with Sam.

With the emergence of OpenAI, Sam emerged as is the foremost thought leader and spokesperson for artificial intelligence, something that will transform human-to-human and human-to-machine relationships in profound ways.

Sam is also a super-connector of the highest order. Through his years at Y Combinator and OpenAI, he has come to know everyone in Silicon Valley.

Where is he from?


He was born in Chicago but grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.

At the age of eight, Sam received his first computer, an Apple Macintosh, which sparked his interest in technology. He learned to code and would take the computer hardware apart to understand how it worked.

Big break in life

Sam Altman’s big break began with his startup, Loopt, a location-sharing app he co-founded in 2005 while still a Stanford student. Though Loopt wasn’t a major commercial success, it connected him with influential Silicon Valley investors. In 2011, Paul Graham invited Altman to join Y Combinator (YC) as a partner, and by 2014, he became its president, leading the accelerator to new heights. YC’s success made Altman a prominent figure in tech, overseeing startups like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. His next major leap was co-founding OpenAI in 2015 with Elon Musk and others, cementing his role as a leader in artificial intelligence. Today, Altman is a key voice in the global conversation on the future of AI.

His network

We don’t presume to have a detailed picture, but when you look at his history, it gives you a window into their network.

• Loopt
• Y Combinator (YC)
• Airbnb
• Dropbox
• Stripe
• Open AI

Career advice

One of Sam Altman’s most notable pieces of career advice is to focus on building expertise and taking big risks early on. He often emphasizes that young professionals should concentrate on projects that maximize learning and growth, rather than seeking immediate stability or financial reward. He advises, “If you can learn to make good decisions, you can eventually get to where you want to be.”

Altman also suggests that working with the smartest people you know is essential, as surrounding yourself with talented and motivated people will push you to grow. Another key point he makes is to start projects that genuinely excite you rather than chasing trends, as passion leads to resilience and the willingness to work through inevitable challenges.

Aspen Ideas keynote

I had the opportunity to attend this talk live, with my 13-year old son this summer. Sam talked about the future of AI as well as the role Brian Chesky (AirBnB CEO), has played, supporting him in his career.
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