Sam Altman: OpenAI Founder Reveals His Writing System
- Podcast: How to Write Good
- Host: David Perell
- Guest: Sam Altman — OpenAI founder
- Duration: ~47 minutes
- Listen: Apple Podcasts | YouTube
Sam Altman does not consider himself a natural writer. But he has developed a systematic approach to writing as a tool for thinking, and he uses it constantly to run OpenAI.
Writing as Externalized Thinking
Altman’s core idea: writing is not primarily for communication. It is for thinking. When he has a hard problem or feels confused about something, he sits down and writes it out. He has not found anything better.
“Clear communication is very much downstream of clear thinking.”
The Physical System
Altman uses spiral notebooks that let him rip out pages and lay them flat. He goes through one every 2-3 weeks. His preferred pens: Uniball Micro5 or Muji 36/37 in dark blue ink.
He writes primarily for himself and small private groups. Rarely for public consumption.
Short Is Better
Altman prefers documents short enough to send as a mobile phone screenshot. Brevity forces clarity.
The Thinking Rhythm
Altman follows a pattern: intense, packed weeks in the office, then quiet weekends with long blocks for reflection and writing. Historically he took longer chunks — a month with people, a month alone.
Protecting Fragile Ideas
Altman describes good ideas as “extremely fragile.” The biggest threat: smart people who understand why every great idea is bad. He emphasizes the importance of creating a process that does not kill potentially great ideas before they have a chance.
AI and Writing
Altman sees AI as a collaborator, not a replacement. He uses ChatGPT as a sparring partner, a “super thesaurus,” and a tool to lower the activation energy for writing. He does not see evidence that AI is killing serious writing. Even if AI could write better than humans, people still want to connect with human authors.
What Matters Most
Spend more time thinking about what to work on than how to be more productive. Altman quotes someone: “Most people can’t even let themselves think the interesting thoughts, much less say the interesting ideas.” Reducing anxiety is crucial for clear thinking.
Crepi il lupo! 🐺