Sam Altman: “Clarity of Thinking, Speed, and Quality of Execution Are All Linked”

Sam Altman explains that he uses writing as a tool to think clearly:

“I think of writing as externalized thinking. If I have a tough problem or if I’m feeling confused about something, I’ve never found a better way to work through it than by sitting down and writing it out… it’s a super powerful thinking tool.”

One reason clear thinking is so important, Sam argues, is because it’s crucial for clear communication:

“If you know what you’re going to do, and you’ve figured out how to reduce that to the essence of why it’s a good idea and what the priorities will be, then communicating that clearly isn’t too difficult. But getting clear about the idea itself is really hard. I think unclear communication is a sign of unfocused thinking.”

Napoleon famously said, “The secret of war lies in the communications.” Sam believes quotes like this are so prevalent because “clarity, speed, and quality of execution are all linked.”