Startup advice from Sam Altman, tips on winning by Replit's founder,and how Jeff Bezos makes decisions

Welcome back to the Z Fellows newsletter! Every Monday we share 3 ideas - to help you build companies, ship products, and create your life's work.

1: Startup advice from Sam Altman

• “Make something people want.”

• “Set a clear, easy-to-understand vision for your company, and make it be a mission people believe in.”

• “Stay focused and don’t try to do too many things at once. Care about execution quality.”

• “You have to have an almost crazy level of dedication to your company to succeed.”

• “In general, don’t start a startup you’re not willing to work on for ten years.”

• “Growth solves (nearly) all problems.”

• “Move fast. Speed is one of your main advantages over large companies.”

• “Remember that you are more likely to die because you execute badly than get crushed by a competitor.”

• “Learn how to stay externally optimistic when your world is melting down.”

• “Sometimes you can succeed through sheer force of will.”

Source: Startup Advice by Sam Altman

2: Tips on winning by Replit’s founder

1. Don’t Die - “Almost everything else you can come back from except death.”

2. Never Quit - “If you've set your mind to something, then why ever quit? If you're not dead, then you're still in the game.”

3. Lock In - “How could you ever win if you're not in the mindset of winning. If you're not locked in?”

4. Do Hard Things - “Look like a noob for a long time. That's good. They'll underestimate you. But you're compounding. And eventually, you'll go vertical, creating a massive distance between you and the next participant before they know what hit them.”

5. Play by the Rules - “If your competitors are lying, deceiving, or taking unethical shortcuts, it'll only help them in the short term. Don't be tempted to do the same. Stay focused.”

6. Put Something Back - “When you put something back into that pool, your reputation will grow, people will be familiar with your work, and they will want to be around you and work for you. Winning can compound by giving back.”

Source: How to Keep Winning by Amjad Masad

3: How Jeff Bezos makes decisions

Best of The Week

See you next Monday,

- The Z Fellows Team

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