Sam Altman went to Peter Thiel, who told him the big ‘Google mistake’ he is making

Sam Altman sought Peter Thiel’s guidance after ChatGPT’s initial launch. Thiel advised doubling down on the flexible text box model, comparing it to Google’s success. This advice countered prevailing Silicon Valley wisdom about needing feeds and network effects. Altman also learned from Thiel and Paul Graham about valuing unpopular investment opportunities. These lessons shaped Altman’s investment strategy for hundreds of companies.