_edited.jpg)
When it comes to building a startup, Sam Altman’s advice is both simple and profound: focus on creating a small group of users who absolutely love your product. This principle, though deceptively straightforward, is the foundation upon which many of the world’s most successful companies have been built. Let’s dive into why this works and how you can apply it to your business.
Photo: Bloomberg
The Power of Loving Users Over Liking Users
Altman emphasizes that having a small group of passionate users trumps having a large number of lukewarm ones. Why? Because users who truly love your product will naturally become your biggest advocates. They’ll tell their friends, write glowing reviews, and stick with you even when things aren’t perfect. On the other hand, users who merely like your product are less likely to stay loyal or spread the word.
Think about products you can’t live without. Maybe it’s a food delivery app that saves you time or a productivity tool that transforms your workflow. You’d feel lost without them, wouldn’t you? That’s the kind of connection Altman says you should aim for.
Going Deep and Narrow vs. Wide and Shallow
Altman outlines two paths for startups:
Deep and Narrow: Focus on a small group of users who deeply love your product. These are the people who will use it frequently, provide valuable feedback, and help you refine your offering.
Wide and Shallow: Target a broad audience with a product that many people kind of like but don’t necessarily feel strongly about.
With high confidence, Altman asserts that the first approach is the winning strategy for startups. Why? Because once you’ve nailed a product for a small, passionate group, you can use what you’ve learned to expand your reach.
Learning from the Greats
History backs this up. Look at companies like Airbnb. When Airbnb launched, its founders focused on providing exceptional experiences for their earliest users, often going as far as photographing their listings personally. This deep connection with their users not only helped them improve their platform but also turned their first customers into lifelong advocates.
Another example is Slack. It started as a tool designed for internal use within a gaming company but resonated so deeply with its initial testers that it expanded into the indispensable communication tool we know today. The common thread? These companies didn’t try to please everyone at first—they focused on a niche group and grew from there.
Creating Products Users Can’t Live Without
Altman challenges founders to ask themselves: What would it take for users to feel genuinely upset if your product disappeared? The goal is to create something so good that users would not only notice its absence but actively protest its loss.
For example, when Instagram experienced an outage in 2019, the uproar from millions of users highlighted just how deeply ingrained the platform had become in people’s lives. This kind of user attachment doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of focusing on delighting a core group of users before scaling.
How to Get Started
Engage Your Early Users: Talk to your first customers, understand their needs, and tailor your product to solve their most pressing problems.
Iterate Rapidly: Use feedback from this group to refine your product and improve their experience.
Build Word-of-Mouth Momentum: Satisfied users will naturally spread the word, helping you grow your audience organically.
Altman’s Formula for Success
Building a product that users love isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. By focusing on a small, passionate audience and delivering exceptional value, you lay the groundwork for broader success. As Altman puts it, almost every great company started this way—and yours can too.
Watch Sam Altman:
Comments