OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman believes engineers must exhibit "technical humility" for success within the company. He noted that engineers and researchers often have different approaches, leading to potential culture clashes regarding project execution. Brockman recalled a situation where lengthy debates among engineers stalled progress, prompting him to propose ideas that would be filtered by researchers. He stressed the importance of truly listening and understanding the bigger picture before making changes, emphasizing that engineers should approach their work with a mindset that welcomes new perspectives.
The most critical quality for engineers to succeed at OpenAI is "technical humility," said Greg Brockman. Engineers need to know when to trust their instincts and when to leave them behind.
Brockman emphasized that engineers often approach problems differently than researchers. He noted that engineers can get bogged down in implementation details, while researchers focus on the system as a whole.
In one early project, the engineering team at OpenAI struggled with decision-making. Brockman proposed a solution where he would suggest ideas, a researcher would reject most, and the team would proceed with one remaining idea.
Listening and understanding the context is important, according to Brockman. Engineers should come in with an open mind, acknowledging there may be perspectives and information they are missing.
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