DP
Sam Altman – OpenAI Founder Reveals His Writing System
@ David Perell
09/25/24
Takeaways
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Many of us will write differently in the future, not just relying on large language models to generate content for us, but using them as tools to discover new ideas.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
The way people communicate with computers is evolving; natural language is becoming a primary interface, allowing for more intuitive interactions.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
ChatGPT can help enhance the quality of thinking by assisting in the writing process, allowing for better idea refinement and generation.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I use ChatGPT as a general-purpose tool, and I hope to integrate it into most aspects of my work in the future as it continues to improve.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I find that many talented individuals often neglect to spend time thinking about what they should work on, which is a critical aspect of productivity.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Writing is a powerful tool for externalized thinking; when faced with a difficult problem, I find that writing helps clarify my thoughts better than any other method.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Clear communication stems from clear thinking; if you can distill your ideas to their essence, articulating them becomes much easier.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
The ability to communicate clearly is crucial, especially in high-stakes environments like the battlefield or business, where alignment and clarity can determine success.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I believe that writing is less about the final product and more about the process of thinking and clarifying ideas, which is why I value it as a tool.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I started writing a personal blog to practice my writing skills, inspired by Paul Graham's impactful writing that helps startup founders.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Writing helps me clarify my thinking and communicate plans effectively to my team, often more powerfully than discussing them in meetings.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Peter Thiel is an exceptional communicator who uses evocative, concise statements that stick in your mind, a skill I admire but struggle to replicate.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I learned from Paul Graham that clarity, precision, and density in writing are crucial; his essays inspired a generation of startup founders, including myself.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Writing is a tool for thinking clearly and getting to the essence of ideas, which is essential for effective communication in pitch meetings.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
The clarity of expression in Y Combinator applications is surprisingly rare, and those who struggle to express themselves clearly often face challenges in running their companies effectively.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I believe that putting knowledge about startups into writing is beneficial for the world, even if it's not the most critical part of what Y Combinator does.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I hope future versions of ChatGPT will be tools that enhance our creativity, allowing us to think of ideas we couldn't before and be more creative than we currently are. Using tools like ChatGPT will enhance how we write, similar to how people adapt to any new technology, expanding human possibilities.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Writing serves as a method for externalizing thoughts and organizing vague ideas, which helps clarify what I truly think.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
In the early days of OpenAI, writing down ideas helped me identify which ones made sense and which didn't, refining our focus on AGI.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I believe in gathering input from many people when making decisions, especially on complex questions about direction.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
I write something every weekend and share it with a small group, which helps me explore ideas and clarify my thoughts.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
In a world where AI can perform many tasks, having great ideas and knowing how to direct AI is crucial for writers.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
ChatGPT is an incredible tool for writers, acting as a thesaurus and helping with phrasing, but it won't replace the need for original ideas.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Teaching writing should focus on storytelling, as beautiful writing without an engaging story fails to captivate readers.
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Sam Altman
09/25/24
@ David Perell
Even if AI can write better than humans, the connection to a human writer's life story will always enhance the reading experience.