I can only speculate so take it with a spoon of salt... But people who are really good at sussing out other people's wants can find ways to make more people happy. It's like a maze of interests and I guess he's just really motivated and good at navigating and aligning them (at least among the rich and powerful).
He also seems to understand something about power and perception, in that he takes calculated risks that seem to keep working out.
So in other words, he seems to be an extraordinarily skillful politician (in both the general and the Patrick Lencioni sense).
It's too early to say if his risks "keep working out". Restructuring is not a risk. His, and others', original decision to make the company a non-profit was also not a calculated risk in this sense.
When he was fired from OpenAI, his use of employee manipulation to regain his position is not a risk; it is the only option he had. It was his bond maturing, of carefully cultivated loyalty he had accrued over years. Gaining that loyalty was not really a risk. It was smart politics.
One risk he took is: signing away such a large portion of the company to Microsoft. I'm not sure whether that is working out.
Another risk he took is: neglecting and sidelining the "safety" portion of his organization. This caused a talent exodus and led to the formation of many competitors. I'm not sure whether that is working out either.
> Restructuring is not a risk...his use of employee manipulation to regain his position is not a risk; it is the only option he had
In both cases he had the option of accepting the status quo.
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This is the guy who had everyone here rooting for him when the OpenAI board tried to kick him out. Which was almost certainly the result of a very successful PR campaign carried out by him.
He's not really comparable with Jobs. This guy is a politician and Jobs was a product guy.
I don't recall "everyone" rooting for him when OpenAI board tried to kick him out. Not even on HN.
Around 95% of the OpenAI engineers signed a letter to the board threatening to quit unless he was reinstated.
Of course they did, they all stood to immensely profit from his course of actions.
But OP talked about "people here".
> This guy is a politician and Jobs was a product guy
They're both excellent marketers.
Not at all. When people say this statement about Jobs, it tells me how little they know about the man.
S Jobs was a clinical and clear communicator. Altman in comparison? Lmao.
> When people say this statement about Jobs, it tells me how little they know about the man
Going to bet I’ve met them both more times than you have.
Neither man was or is an archetype.
You havent met anyone fella. I see your posts here all the time - full of bluster.
Lol what? You need to do more research fella. Did it not ever occur to you that Jobs got the recording industry to dance to his tune to offer music for under a dollar? He did the same with the iPhone - smashing the control cellular network providers had over handset producers.
"This is the guy who had everyone here rooting for him when the OpenAI board tried to kick him out."
Finally... oh this is just funny. Who rooted for S Jobs when he was kicked out of Apple, and cheered for him on his return?
.....