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About

SA

Sam Altman

02/24/18

@ Y Combinator

After Looped was acquired, I took a mid-career sabbatical to travel and invest, but I realized I didn't enjoy being a seed investor.

Video

YC

Uncut Interview with Sam Altman on Masters of Scale [Audio]

@ Y Combinator

Uncut Interview with Sam Altman on Masters of Scale [Audio]

02/24/18

Related Takeaways

BS

Blake Scholl

02/15/25

@ Y Combinator

I took a year off after leaving Groupon to explore what I wanted to do next, which allowed me to pursue the idea of supersonic flight without the fear of it being a dead end.

TB

Tikhon Bernstam

09/09/17

@ Y Combinator

After Parse was acquired by Facebook, I took a break and traveled for two years, which was a refreshing change after years of working non-stop.

DS

Diego Saez Gil

01/29/20

@ Y Combinator

After my previous company faced challenges, I took time off for soul-searching and was inspired by the power of nature during a trip to the Amazon rainforest.

NB

Nate Blecharczyk

10/26/13

@ Y Combinator

After quitting my corporate job due to lack of learning, I joined a startup where I learned valuable lessons about what not to do in business.

SA

Sam Altman

02/24/18

@ Y Combinator

My project, which eventually became Looped, started as something we worked on after class and at night, and it wouldn't have been a startup without Y Combinator.

TC

Theodoric Chew

04/21/25

@ EO

After exiting my first company, I spent time working at startups and venture builders to gain experience and learn from faster-growing companies.

PB

Paul Buchheit

03/07/18

@ Y Combinator

I realized I needed to stop and reflect on my investment decisions to identify patterns that led to favorable or unfavorable outcomes, aiming to improve my future investments.

SA

Sam Altman

02/24/18

@ Y Combinator

I found that I prefer running a company over being on the sidelines as an investor; many founders miss this realization when they start investing.

NR

Nico Rosberg

05/30/25

@ All-In Podcast

After my driving career, I wanted more freedom in my life, which is why I chose to transition into venture capital instead of running a Formula 1 team, which requires full commitment.