The Keys to Outlier Success: Insights from Sam Altman

Hello, dear friend,

Recently, I came across a blog post by Sam Altman titled "How To Be Successful," and it resonated deeply with me.

Altman's insights are both profound and practical, and I believe they can benefit you as well.

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, which has made significant waves across the internet. His experiences and thoughts on success are worth sharing.

Here’s a summary of his key points, presented in simple, actionable language.

1. Compound Yourself

Success often comes from exponential growth. Aim for a career that grows exponentially rather than linearly. Focus on adding significant value over time, and let your work compound.

Prioritize opportunities that can lead to step changes rather than small, incremental gains.

Trust in the exponential, be patient, and be pleasantly surprised by the results.

2. Have Almost Too Much Self-Belief

Believe in yourself to the point where it almost feels like delusion.

Successful people often have a level of self-belief that others might find excessive.

I have always shared how important this is, you have to be delusional about your goals, thats how great things happen.

Balance this with self-awareness by listening to criticism and using it to improve. This balance will help you avoid coming across as entitled or out of touch.

3. Learn to Think Independently

Original thinking is crucial for success, yet it's rarely taught.

Cultivate the ability to think from first principles and generate new ideas. Find people to exchange ideas with and test them in the real world.

Remember, failure is part of the process, and resilience builds over time as you learn to get back up after setbacks.

4. Get Good at “Sales”

Convincing others of your vision is essential.

Great careers often involve a lot of selling—be it to customers, investors, or team members.

Develop strong communication skills, particularly in writing, and ensure your thinking is clear.

Show up in person when it matters, and always believe in what you’re selling.

5. Make It Easy to Take Risks

Taking risks is crucial because it’s impossible to be right all the time.

Look for opportunities with high potential rewards and manageable risks. Early in your career, take advantage of the flexibility to pursue these opportunities.

Keep your life flexible to allow for taking risks that could lead to significant rewards.

6. Focus

Focus is a multiplier of effort.

Spend more time thinking about what to focus on and ensure it’s the right thing.

Once you’ve identified your priorities, work relentlessly to achieve them. Avoid distractions and concentrate on what truly matters.

7. Work Hard

To reach the top of your field, you need to work both smart and hard.

Extreme success requires extreme effort.

Find work that you’re passionate about, and surround yourself with people you enjoy working with. Start working hard early in your career to compound your efforts over time.

8. Be Bold

Ambition drives success. Don’t shy away from difficult or unconventional ideas.

Pursue what excites you, and don’t second guess yourself based on what others are doing. Bold ideas attract support and create a positive momentum.

9. Be Willful

Persistence often leads to success. Push hard for what you want and don’t give up easily.

Ask for what you need, and be willing to face rejection.

Optimism and willfulness can help you bend the world to your will more often than you might expect.

10. Be Hard to Compete With

Develop unique skills and leverage them to become hard to compete with.

Build strong personal relationships, a recognizable personal brand, or expertise at the intersection of multiple fields.

Avoid mimicking others and find ways to stand out.

11. Build a Network

Great achievements require a team. Cultivate a network of talented people and help others generously.

Building a strong network often leads to new opportunities and career advancements. Support your team and share successes generously to foster loyalty and collaboration.

12. Own Things

Wealth and success often come from owning things that increase in value, such as businesses, real estate, or intellectual property.

Focus on creating value at scale and owning a part of it to build wealth.

13. Be Internally Driven

Motivation should come from within. Avoid working solely to impress others. Instead, focus on what genuinely excites and drives you.

This internal motivation will sustain you through challenges and help you achieve long-term success.

Improvement doesn’t have to be complex. By consistently applying these principles, you can make significant progress over time.

Keep it simple, stay focused, and remain consistent. When you look back over the months or even years, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.

For the full blog post by Sam Altman, you can read it here.

With you on this journey, always.

See you next week,

Uthman