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Sunday Signal: Altman’s back at OpenAI, why founders should write and the best networking strategy
Alex Banks
November 26, 2023
Hey friends 👋 Happy Sunday.
Here’s your weekly dose of AI and introspection.
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AI Highlights
What a turbulent week it’s been. Just one week ago, we covered how Altman was fired by OpenAI’s board on Friday 17th November. By Monday 20th, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella appointed Altman and colleague Greg Brockman to lead a new advanced AI research team.
This ignited the fire. 505 of OpenAI's 700 employees then threatened to leave and join Microsoft’s efforts unless the board stepped down and reinstated Altman.
Altman returned to OpenAI as CEO just 4 days after being fired, following a board reshuffle. The board now includes former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Adam D'Angelo as directors. D'Angelo was part of the original board that had fired Altman.
Alex’s take: There’s still the looming question of why Altman was fired in the first place. Especially with Microsoft being left in the dark, even though they hold a 49% stake in OpenAI. This series of events really highlights how fast things move (and how important it is to control your board). Blink and you’ll miss it.
The ChatGPT competitor ‘Grok’ will be integrated directly into X. It will have its own unique tab on the platform, allowing users to chat directly with the model. What’s more, Musk recently mentioned there will be a “Grok, analysis” button under X posts to provide further insight. This is a hat-tip to the Penguins of Madagascar—an all-time classic scene.
Alex’s take: A big advantage of Grok over other models is its real-time access to information on X. However, I also see potential pitfalls given the growing spread of misinformation. I’m curious to know what information Grok ingests vs what it leaves out.
Enias Cailliau built ‘GirlfriendGPT’. It does what it says on the tin. However, Stripe didn’t agree with the free market and interrupted the hockey stick growth curve as it constituted a violation of their service agreement.
Alex’s take: It’s scary to see what AI can accidentally encourage. A prime example of this is when a teenager was encouraged by his AI girlfriend on the companion app ‘Replika’, to break into Windsor Castle with a crossbow and assassinate the Queen. As people treat AI more and more like a real person, I feel it’s important the necessary safeguards are put in place.
1 Article I Enjoyed
As a founder, you are judged based on all your communications.
If you’re able to write well, it’s one of the highest ROI activities you can hone to accelerate growth across your company.
Even Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, ranks the ability to clearly communicate as the single most important skill he looks for in executives.
Writing is a forcing function for clarity of thought. As your writing improves, so does your ability to communicate concisely in real-time speech.
Writing online is the best place to start. Nothing beats public accountability. This is why I started writing on X (formerly Twitter) to force brevity as I share what I learn.
It’s hard to see at first but after 6 months, the difference will be stark.
1 Idea I Learned
The best networking strategy is doing cool stuff.
Do something that excites you
Share it publicly
Attract like-minded people
The flywheel starts when you repeat this at scale.
It beats trade shows, conferences and seminars every day.
Do interesting things and attract interesting people.
“To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.” — Marcus Aurelius
Like a rock in the sea, we can stay strong and calm, no matter how busy life gets.
We always have the freedom to choose how we respond to any given set of circumstances.
The beautiful thing about Stoic philosophy is the advice contained within it is just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago when it was first written.
1 Question to Ponder
What is the single greatest payoff activity I can achieve today?
💡 If you enjoyed this issue, share it with a friend.
See you next week,
Alex Banks