When you are starting a new AI startup, it is important to learn from the tech giants like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. It is easy to feel there is nothing new left to build in the AI world, just like these tech giants are releasing one after another groundbreaking model. Recently, the advice of Greg Brockman for new startup founders has been going viral.
Speaking on the Latent Space podcast, Greg Brockman, who is the co-founder and President of OpenAI, reminded us that the economy is very big. The advice of Greg Brockman to founders was that there are still countless opportunities waiting for ambitious entrepreneurs. His advice is not to discourage, but instead to think about how we can make the most out of these AIs.
The advice of Greg Brockman comes at a time when Silicon Valley has been seeing a debate about how startups can survive in an ecosystem. The advice of Greg Brockman is both sobering and inspiring at the same and it is not about chasing hype or quick wins but more about building something that truly lasts longer.
Advice of Greg Brockman on Startups
Greg Brockman co-founded OpenAI in 2015, and he therefore knows firsthand how fast AI spaces can move. On the podcast, advice from Greg Brockman on startups was to connect large language models to real-world applications. Instead of just playing with technology and artificial intelligence, Brockman emphasised that founders should figure out where they can make a difference.
Greg Brockman highlighted how healthcare, as a domain, has transformed a lot due to the emergence of AI. He also stressed the fact that it is not enough to just throw a model into the mix, and founders must think about the stakeholders as well. Greg Brockman used a colourful phrase to explain this: “There is so much fruit that is not picked, and so, go ahead and ride the river of GPT.”
In simpler words, he meant that the opportunity is still there for the new AI startups, and it is not gone yet. According to us, the advice of Greg Brockman is spot on, as founders often focus on the tech rather than the problems. The real winners in AI startups are not those who simply plug into an API but those who solve meaningful challenges in industries.
AI Wrappers Can’t Save You
Another strong piece of advice given by Greg Brockman was not to waste our time building better wrappers. According to him, AI wrappers can’t save you in Silicon Valley, and it is a dismissive term used to describe simpler apps built on existing AI models. The apps often provide a nicer interface but add little to no real value to the company.
The problem of AI wrappers is obvious, as anything that is just a thin layer on top of LLMs can be easily duplicated by the model provider. Brockman argued that the real challenge of AI startups is not making AI easier to access but understanding the complexities of a domain and building expertise. According to us, AI wrappers can feel tempting to launch, but in the long run, they are defensible.
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OpenAI vs. Startups
The advice of Greg Brockman emphasised a lot on the OpenAI vs. startups debate. Last year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gave a warning to everyone and said his company would steamroll any startup building little things on top of its model. Greg Brockman mentioned not to compete where OpenAI can move easily and focus on areas where domain expertise matters more than raw model access.
The advice of Greg Brockman on AI startups could not be clearer: the economy is massive, but shortcuts won’t work. Founders need to resist the temptation of AI wrappers and instead focus on building something deep and defensible.
