Essay · ~7 min read

Idea Generation

Sam Altman · Sam Altman (blog.samaltman.com) Free Intermediate

Altman treats idea generation as a skill you build by surrounding yourself with high-idea-flux people and looking for the leading edge of tectonic shifts. He gives you two concrete moves: project 20 years out and work backward, or find the one shift happening now that just unlocked something. Practical guidance on where to physically stand so ideas find you.

  • Get around people with a good feel for the future and high idea flux
  • Spot the tectonic shift, then find the opening it just created
  • A strong idea is one you can explain why most people wrongly dismiss

The question it answers

  1. Where do I look to find emerging opportunities before they're obvious?

Read with it

  1. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  2. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  3. The definitive short read on why disruptive ideas get dismissed as toys, and why that dismissal is your opening. It reframes... cdixon.org Article · ~5 min read The Next Big Thing Will Start Out Looking Like a Toy Chris Dixon
  4. A short, pointed essay on why the best ideas grow organically out of the founder's own life and knowledge, the essence of... paulgraham.com Article · ~5 min read Organic Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  5. A leading early-stage Indian VC firm answering the questions founders wish they could ask a VC face-to-face, including how they... Prime Venture Partners Podcast Podcast · 30-50 min per episode Prime Venture Partners Podcast: Fundraising Masterclass for Founders Prime Venture Partners
  6. Video · ~25 min How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas Jared Friedman
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