zlacker

>>sandsl+(OP)
I'm sure this will get downvoted into oblivion, but why should I or other engineers/entrepreneurs look at Sam Altman as a massive startup success story when his lone startup Loopt never really achieved product-market fit, and ended up in a firesale?

Across 5 funding rounds, Crunchbase lists Loopt as having raised $39 million and then was acquired (acqui-hired?) for $43 million. He didn't create any multiples of value for his investors. Loopt wasn't a breakout hit like so many other YC startups have been. It was certainly one of the first interesting location-based apps in the App Store, but soon was surrounded by other location-based apps and never really appeared to surface and gain traction.

Obviously Sam runs YC now and has dramatically improved it, but in the lens of being an entrepreneur, isn't he still essentially unproven, and not a success story in the startup world?

>>flyosi+ib
I turned out to be a better investor than an entrepreneur (though somewhat to my surprise running YC is more about running a company than being an investor).

I think I've learned a lot from working closely with entrepreneurs that run massively successful companies that's worth sharing.

If you disagree, no one is making you watch this. You're free to hit the back button.

>>sama+pd
I think the parent raised a good (and fair) question and this is a good (and honest) answer. YC has done fantastically well under your leadership.