Skip navigation
Productivity
Article

Productivity

Sam Altman, 2018

auto-generated audio
auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

How do you stay productive? Learn from Sam Altman. The  Y Combinator president has the same 24 hours as anyone else to get things done, and he manages to tackle what matters to him and delegate the rest. His productivity philosophy boils down to a simple idea: Choose the right tasks to complete. Then, work hard. Insights from a high-profile entrepreneur and his actionable suggestions make this post a worthy read. getAbstract recommends Altman’s perspective to managers who need a refresher course in time management.

Summary

Hone in on the tasks that matter to you, and ditch the ones that don’t. This is how you get things done. Much like compound interest makes a small investment grow over time, slight productivity improvements spread over a career can set you apart from your colleagues. 

Think carefully about what you’re working on, because productivity without purpose is futile. As much as possible, concentrate on work that you enjoy, and delegate unwanted tasks to people who would enjoy them. Surrounding yourself with upbeat and efficient...

About the Author

Sam Altman is an entrepreneur, investor, blogger and programmer. He’s president of the start-up incubator Y Combinator and the co-founder and former CEO of Loopt.