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Most people stumble into their careers without much thought. They take a job, start a project, or build a business without truly considering if it’s the right fit.
But according to Sam Altman, former president of Y Combinator and CEO of OpenAI, this is a critical mistake. If you want to make a real impact, you need to deliberately choose what you work on.
Photo: Getty Images
His advice? Find the intersection of three things:
✅ What you’re good at
✅ What you enjoy
✅ Where you can create value for the world
This simple yet powerful framework can change the course of your career or startup—if you take the time to apply it.
Let’s break it down.
Why Most People Fall Into the Wrong Work
Altman acknowledges that many people don’t put much thought into their work choices:
“I think most people kind of just fall into what they work on, they don’t give it much thought, and there is benefit to that. Sometimes you actually have to just try stuff to figure out what you like.”
This is true. If you’ve never tried something, how will you know if you enjoy it? Many successful founders stumbled into their breakthroughs by trying things randomly:
Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class out of curiosity—years later, that knowledge shaped the typography of the Mac.
Elon Musk didn’t set out to build a car company—he started investing in electric vehicles and saw an opportunity.
Brian Chesky (Airbnb) wasn’t planning to disrupt hospitality—he just needed rent money and decided to rent out his air mattress.
But here’s the catch: while experimenting is useful, you still need direction.
The Three-Point Framework for Choosing What to Work On
According to Altman, deliberate thinking about your work can save years of frustration. The key is aligning these three factors:
1. What Are You Good At?
Everyone has natural talents. Maybe you’re great at problem-solving, design, writing, or coding.
The mistake people make? They ignore their strengths and chase trends instead.
For example, let’s say AI startups are booming. You see everyone talking about AI, so you think, "I should start an AI company!" But if you’re terrible at math and hate working with data, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Instead, double down on what you’re naturally good at. It’s easier to become great at something if you already have a talent for it.
“I think it’s really good when people think about what they’re good at.”
2. What Do You Enjoy?
Being good at something isn’t enough—you also have to like doing it.
Imagine two people:
Person A is an amazing programmer but hates sitting at a desk all day.
Person B is an average programmer but loves coding so much that they practice for hours every night.
Who do you think will be more successful over time? Person B. Because passion drives consistency, and consistency beats raw talent every time.
Take Warren Buffett, for example. He became the world’s greatest investor not just because he was good at finance, but because he was obsessed with reading about businesses.
If you work on something you hate, you’ll burn out. Passion sustains long-term effort.
“It’s hard to really have an impact if you don’t enjoy what you do.”
3. Where Can You Create Value for the World?
This is where most people fail.
You might be great at something and love doing it, but if no one cares, you don’t have a business or career—just a hobby.
Example:
You might love painting landscapes, but if no one is willing to pay for them, you won’t make a living.
You might be amazing at solving Rubik’s cubes, but unless you turn it into a YouTube channel or a coaching business, it won’t pay your bills.
Great businesses and careers exist where your skills and interests solve a real problem for people.
“You have to think about how you can create value for the world.”
This is what separates successful founders from struggling ones. They work on something people genuinely need.
Look at Jeff Bezos—he didn’t start Amazon because he loved books. He started it because he saw an opportunity in e-commerce and logistics, something the world needed.
Final Thought: Spend Time Choosing Wisely
Most people spend more time picking a Netflix show than choosing their career or startup idea.
But what you work on determines your success more than how hard you work.
Altman advises:
“I really do think it is worth upfront thought about what you’re going to spend most of your waking time doing.”
So ask yourself:
What am I naturally good at?
What do I enjoy?
How can I use those skills to create value?
When you find something that aligns with all three, you’re on the right path.
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