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In 2019, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, wrote the best blog post on success most have not seen.
The insights from this post laid the foundations for OpenAI’s success.
Here are the 13 game-changing lessons that will help you achieve your biggest goals 🧵
The insights from this post laid the foundations for OpenAI’s success.
Here are the 13 game-changing lessons that will help you achieve your biggest goals 🧵
1/ Compound Yourself
Seek exponential growth in your career and life. Look for opportunities with compounding effects. Think long-term and add another zero to your success metric. Your trajectory should always be up-and-to-the-right!
Seek exponential growth in your career and life. Look for opportunities with compounding effects. Think long-term and add another zero to your success metric. Your trajectory should always be up-and-to-the-right!
2/ Believe in Yourself (Almost Too Much)
Self-belief is immensely powerful. The most successful people have unshakable confidence. Trust your judgment, embrace contrarian ideas, and aim to make a profound impact on the world.
Self-belief is immensely powerful. The most successful people have unshakable confidence. Trust your judgment, embrace contrarian ideas, and aim to make a profound impact on the world.
3/ Embrace Independent Thinking
Originality is key. Cultivate your ability to think from first principles, generate new ideas, and test them in the real world. Fail many times but all you need is to really right once.
Originality is key. Cultivate your ability to think from first principles, generate new ideas, and test them in the real world. Fail many times but all you need is to really right once.
4/ Master the Art of "Sales"
Communication is crucial. Inspire others with your vision and execution ability. Develop strong communication skills and genuinely believe in what you're selling. Remember, selling what you truly believe in feels great.
Communication is crucial. Inspire others with your vision and execution ability. Develop strong communication skills and genuinely believe in what you're selling. Remember, selling what you truly believe in feels great.
5/ Make It Easy to Take Risks
Don't be afraid to take calculated risks. Start early, when you have less to lose and more to gain. Create an environment that encourages risk-taking. Keep your life flexible and seize opportunities that may lead to something truly extraordinary.
Don't be afraid to take calculated risks. Start early, when you have less to lose and more to gain. Create an environment that encourages risk-taking. Keep your life flexible and seize opportunities that may lead to something truly extraordinary.
6/ Focus, Focus, Focus
Prioritize the right things over working long hours. Be unstoppable in accomplishing your small handful of priorities. Success comes from focused, efficient work. Slow-moving individuals rarely reach the top.
Prioritize the right things over working long hours. Be unstoppable in accomplishing your small handful of priorities. Success comes from focused, efficient work. Slow-moving individuals rarely reach the top.
7/ Embrace Hard Work
Working smart and hard is a winning combination. Be willing to put in the effort, as extreme people get extreme results. Work hard early in your career, harnessing the power of compounding. Remember, hard work can lead to immense fulfilment and impact.
Working smart and hard is a winning combination. Be willing to put in the effort, as extreme people get extreme results. Work hard early in your career, harnessing the power of compounding. Remember, hard work can lead to immense fulfilment and impact.
8/ Be Bold and Unconventional
Don't follow the crowd. Pursue ambitious, important problems that excite you. Stand out by working on what you truly want to work on. Curiosity and excitement are contagious, so follow your passions fearlessly.
Don't follow the crowd. Pursue ambitious, important problems that excite you. Stand out by working on what you truly want to work on. Curiosity and excitement are contagious, so follow your passions fearlessly.
9/ Harness Your Willpower
Believe that you can bend the world to your will. Be persistent, optimistic, and push through challenges. Most people give up too early, but the ones who persevere are the ones who eventually succeed. Be willful and embrace the power of determination.
Believe that you can bend the world to your will. Be persistent, optimistic, and push through challenges. Most people give up too early, but the ones who persevere are the ones who eventually succeed. Be willful and embrace the power of determination.
10/ Be Hard To Compete With
Companies and individuals both thrive when they're tough to replicate. Build leverage through relationships, a strong personal brand, or expertise in multiple fields. Break away from the crowd and dare to be unique.
Companies and individuals both thrive when they're tough to replicate. Build leverage through relationships, a strong personal brand, or expertise in multiple fields. Break away from the crowd and dare to be unique.
11/ Build Networks and Lift Others
Surround yourself with talented individuals. Build a network of people who inspire you. Seek out undiscovered talent, spot intelligence, and foster a community of driven individuals.
Surround yourself with talented individuals. Build a network of people who inspire you. Seek out undiscovered talent, spot intelligence, and foster a community of driven individuals.
12/ Own Things
Contrary to popular belief, high salaries don't make you rich. True wealth comes from owning assets that skyrocket in value. Whether it's a business, real estate, intellectual property, or more, owning equity is key. Don't just sell your time.
Contrary to popular belief, high salaries don't make you rich. True wealth comes from owning assets that skyrocket in value. Whether it's a business, real estate, intellectual property, or more, owning equity is key. Don't just sell your time.
13/ Be Internally Driven
Avoid the traps of being externally driven like making choices just to fit in or comparing yourself to others. True success comes with an unwavering internal drive. Focus on impressing yourself!
Avoid the traps of being externally driven like making choices just to fit in or comparing yourself to others. True success comes with an unwavering internal drive. Focus on impressing yourself!
And that's a wrap.
If you enjoyed this thread, follow me @sebo_gm for more content like this.
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this thread, follow me @sebo_gm for more content like this.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. And for those that are interested, here is the full blog post: blog.samaltman.com/how-to-be-successful
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Moritz Kremb @moritzkremb
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May 24, 2023
Great thread with valuable lessons!