Thread

1. atleastoptimal · 1785947160 · focus · HN ↗

   I think there's one weirdly simple reason DeepMind isn't doing as well as OpenAI and Anthropic. I may be wrong on this.

   OpenAI and Anthropic went from tiny startups to huge companies. As a consequence the stock options/RSU's offered to the employees paid off a far higher percentage ROI than any stock options a DeepMind (and thus Google) employee would get (since Google is already huge). This disincentivizes people who truly believe in the economically transformative power of AI to work at Google since their benefits will be capped by Google being large + having public company obligations.

   1. majormajor · 1785950268 · focus · HN ↗

      That was true early but OpenAI/Anthropic have done a ton of hiring over the past couple years at already-huge valuations, as much on the strength of big current base salary + equity, not just future increase speculation.

      1. solenoid0937 · 1785959473 · focus · HN ↗

         Everyone knows there isn't a moat.

         No one joins OpenAI/Anthropic unless they think these companies will reach superintelligence.

         So most people joining believe their equity will 10-100x even from where it is today.

         (Coincidentally, the talent that believes we will reach AGI overlaps a lot with the best talent, which has a magnetic effect.)

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