The Advice That Should Be Tattooed on Every Founder's Arm
Paul Graham used to say something that never got the respect it deserved. Be relentlessly resourceful. Sam Altman says it's the most important skill in life. Not just startups. Life.
Most people hear this and nod. Then they send one email, get ignored, and move on.
Relentlessly resourceful. Two words that separate winners from everyone else.
30 Different Paths Into One Company
Altman needed a deal with a mobile operator. The company didn't work with startups. Didn't care about technology companies. The door was shut.
So he tried 30 different ways in. Thirty. Different contacts. Different angles. Different approaches. Most founders stop after two.
He tried 30 different paths. Most people stop after two.
The Meeting That Changed Everything
After all those attempts, the key decision maker agreed to a meeting. But not because he was impressed. He wanted Altman to stop bothering him.
That's the point. The meeting happened. The reason didn't matter. Getting in the room is the only thing that matters.
He took the meeting just to make the calls stop. That's how you win.
When Should You Give Up?
At YC, founders always asked Altman the same question. How do I know when to quit? He spent years trying to build a rubric. He never could.
Because there is no formula. It's a judgment call. You learn it by taking thousands of swings. Not by reading a blog post.
There's no rubric for knowing when to quit. It's all judgment.
The Skill Most People Think They Have But Don't
Everyone thinks they're persistent. Nobody thinks they give up too early. But Altman says the data is clear. Most people stop at the first ignored email.
Relentless resourcefulness isn't a personality trait. It's a decision you make every single morning.
You're not as persistent as you think you are.