A few weeks ago, I watched part of an interview with the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman. The most interesting part, however, wasn’t about AI, but about how Altman works. A key element of his creative process, his thinking, and problem-solving is… taking notes. It’s striking that the head of the world’s most digitized company relies so heavily on such an analog way of working.
Altman gave a few minutes of explanation on how to take notes, what kind of notebook to choose, and which ones to avoid. You can watch it yourself:
In short: Altman prefers small notebooks, small enough to fit into the pocket of his jeans. Spiral-bound, of course—because then you can easily tear out single pages and place them side by side to see the bigger picture across different sketches. Plus, spiral notebooks can be laid flat on a chosen page without flipping over by themselves.
How many notes does Altman take? A lot—since one notebook lasts him about three weeks.
Altman isn’t the only fan of note-taking in business circles. In his autobiography, Richard Branson admits that writing notes is a key part of his thinking process. He goes to a meeting with a potential investor - he takes a notebook and writes down fragments of the conversation. He attends a company meeting - he notes observations and interesting ideas. He withdraws to solitude - and fills page after page. His archive of notebooks takes up an entire cabinet. And as he admits: without notes, he would drown in chaos.
Many presenters and speakers I’ve talked to over the years also mention the habit of taking notes. A good presenter can be recognized by the size of their file of potential ideas for a presentation. The more ideas, anecdotes, curiosities, statistics, and arguments stored in their archives, the better the chance their presentation will be a success.
Abraham Lincoln was famous for this. One of the greatest orators of the 19th century traveled across the United States. Time and again, he met interesting people who told him interesting stories. Whenever he heard one, he wrote it down on a slip of paper, tucked it into the pocket of his famous top hat, put the hat back on his head, and went on his way. When the time came to write a speech, he never started from a blank page. He looked into his notes and searched for the best anecdote to weave into his speech. That was the whole secret of how he earned the reputation of a legendary speaker.
So—is your file of stories, ideas, anecdotes, quotes, and curiosities well-developed? If not, it’s time to catch up. Taking notes is a way to think more clearly. And at the same time, it’s a path to much better presentations. I keep several notebooks myself. I prefer black, lined, large-size Moleskines, which are hard to tear pages from, but which lie flat on a desk with ease. That’s where I sketch my presentations, write down soundbites (memorable sentences) for keynote speeches, and most of all, jot down my thoughts and ideas.
I also keep digital notebooks. I use Google Keep, accessible from both my computer and phone (the app works not just on Android but also iPhones). That’s where I save interesting ideas and quotes I come across while reading books, watching YouTube videos, or in conversations. From time to time, I clean up those notes, select the best ones, move them to the right places, and transfer some into specific Google Drive folders. One folder is special: my presentation ideas. It’s my treasure chest of curiosities, anecdotes, and short stories I can drop into any presentation. And it’s a huge support for me. I know that even if I’m not at my best on a given day while giving a presentation, I can always rely on tried-and-true material from my archives. I’ve tested these many times with different audiences and I know I have gems there that never fail me. That sense of support is the best shot of confidence a presenter can get.
So: note-taking isn’t some eccentricity. It’s the absolute standard in the world of professional presentations.
Piotr Garlej
