Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

wsj.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 204 posts

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#21

Post by hutzlibu »

gwern wrote: post #4

Many points of interest here, including the answer to an earlier HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38384090 Why were the YC posts about Altman stepping down as YC president & becoming chairman so confusingly edited, and Altman seems to have either never been chairman or have quickly left? Well, because his post lacked candor about him becoming YC chairman: "To smooth his exit, Altman proposed he mov…

Also this other bit was news to me:

"Graham said it was his wife’s doing. “If anyone ‘fired’ Sam, it was Jessica, not me,” he said. “But it would be wrong to use the word ‘fired’ because he agreed immediately.” "

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#22

Post by fvbcds »

CPLX wrote: post #17
gumballindie wrote: post #6

The more we learn about this person the more we understand how dubious he is. I am not entirely sure what the end game is for those protecting and promoting him. He’s clearly not steve jobs. Behaves and talks more like a cheap imitation.

His values are completely aligned with the ruling class. Billionaires need on the ground types like him to actually do stuff. It’s hard to find people who are young and ambitious and effective, and yet fundamentally and ruthlessly aligned with corporate hegemony. And I suspect he must be spectacularly good at flattery.

Remember to use code words next time, this is getting flagged.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#23

Post by Apreche »

gkoberger wrote: post #7

You don't have to like Sam. But people who do big things, by definition, have to get there by pushing things along at a cadence that differs from most other people. I'm not necessarily saying it's a good thing, but I don't get why every article about Sam seems to be surprised that the guy who helped build something nobody thought was possible (AI this decade) got there by doing things in a fast, unique way. If he fol…

My question is, what do you count as "doing"?

Imagine I win the lottery and hire really smart architects and tell them to make a revolutionary new building. They go on to make some amazing building that gets all sorts of awards and recognition. Is anyone really so naive as to suggest that I am deserving of any credit whatsoever? In the words of Urkel, "Did I do that?"

There are some leaders in the tech world who have clearly done something. John Carmack did something. Steve Wozniak did something. There are some questionable cases as well. As far as Altman goes, I put him firmly in the same camp as Musk. They haven't done jack shit. I give them no respect, recognition, or credit. They were just wealthy people spending money. I seriously question the people who look at them positively in any way whatsoever.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#24

Post by fvbcds »

gkoberger wrote: post #13
skullone wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's not unique, instead very textbook sociopath. Lines up with the alleged abuse of his younger sister too. There's not much more to him than a wheeler and dealer, self serving abuser.

If he was brilliant and high agency, rather than a sociopath, what would be doing differently right now? The phrase "wheeler and dealer" rarely applies to people who have genuinely changed the world forever; why do you put him in that category when he clearly has had tangible results? Hey, if you don't like Sam, that's fine. But that doesn't make him a sociopath.

Brilliant and high agency people don’t shill for big companies. I am not trying to be a dick but agency == honesty.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#25

Post by throwaway778945 »

My read - wildly successful business person, bad human being. So long as SV values what you do over how you got there (with criminal conduct being the obvious red line in how), Sam A and Steve Jobs types will continue to rise generation after generation.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#27

Post by milkglass »

layer8 wrote: post #16
milkglass wrote: post #10

Really interesting how Sam gets compared to Steve Jobs quite often. Sam in some ways embodies the reality distortion field that Steve operated under, and has huge influence on those all that are part of that path.

The difference is that Sam Altman doesn’t seem to be an ideas man like Steve Jobs was. Both have been characterized as being manipulative liars though.

I think that's a fair statement. Manipulative leader bends reality to achieve results, perpetuating a culture where we have self fulfilling prophecies.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#28

Post by nvy »

gumballindie wrote: post #6

The more we learn about this person the more we understand how dubious he is. I am not entirely sure what the end game is for those protecting and promoting him. He’s clearly not steve jobs. Behaves and talks more like a cheap imitation.

Steve Jobs was a massive piece of shit; not a good figure to worship.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#29

Post by godzillabrennus »

Apreche wrote: post #23
gkoberger wrote: post #7

You don't have to like Sam. But people who do big things, by definition, have to get there by pushing things along at a cadence that differs from most other people. I'm not necessarily saying it's a good thing, but I don't get why every article about Sam seems to be surprised that the guy who helped build something nobody thought was possible (AI this decade) got there by doing things in a fast, unique way. If he fol…

My question is, what do you count as "doing"? Imagine I win the lottery and hire really smart architects and tell them to make a revolutionary new building. They go on to make some amazing building that gets all sorts of awards and recognition. Is anyone really so naive as to suggest that I am deserving of any credit whatsoever? In the words of Urkel, "Did I do that?" There are some leaders in the tech world who have…

Someone has to be skilled enough in fundraising to be able to raise the money to get the talent to do the thing. That alone is a difficult skill to master. It’s often harder to do than to be able to create great things. Carmack and Woz are legends for a reason.

Re: Sam Altman's knack for dodging bullets with a little help from bigshot friends

#30

Post by brcmthrowaway »

gkoberger wrote: post #7

You don't have to like Sam. But people who do big things, by definition, have to get there by pushing things along at a cadence that differs from most other people. I'm not necessarily saying it's a good thing, but I don't get why every article about Sam seems to be surprised that the guy who helped build something nobody thought was possible (AI this decade) got there by doing things in a fast, unique way. If he fol…

Which makes me think... how much of the talent in middle management in FAANG could be actually useful in the world when applied somewhere else!
Post reply on HN