According to Wired, OpenAI now operates with two CEOs – Sam Altman managing research and compute, while former Instacart CEO Fidji Simo runs everything else as CEO of Applications since August. Simo is working remotely from Los Angeles due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome that makes her prone to fainting if standing too long, but maintains constant presence through Slack, often responding within five minutes from 8 am to midnight. She’s overseeing ChatGPT and all revenue-generating functions while launching products like Pulse for personalized calendar insights, an AI jobs platform, and mental health crisis features. Eventually she’ll decide how to implement ads in ChatGPT’s free tier, with employees confirming her hyper-engagement despite the company’s famously overwhelming Slack culture.
The weirdest corporate structure in tech
So OpenAI now has two CEOs. That’s… unusual. Sam Altman handles the research side while Fidji Simo basically runs the business. It’s like having one person focused on making smarter AI and another focused on making that AI actually useful to people. And honestly? That division might be exactly what OpenAI needs right now.
Simo’s playbook for monetization
Here’s the thing – OpenAI’s models are incredibly advanced, but they’re not becoming daily habits for most people. Simo’s background scaling Facebook and taking Instacart public suggests she knows how to build products people actually use. And use repeatedly. The Pulse feature connecting to calendars? That’s sticky. The jobs platform? That creates dependency. Basically, she’s building reasons for people to keep coming back rather than just occasionally asking ChatGPT to write a poem.
The coming payment push
Look, OpenAI can’t survive on venture funding forever. They’re burning cash training models and building infrastructure. Simo’s job is to turn those brilliant research projects into revenue streams. The ads in free ChatGPT are inevitable – but will they be tasteful or annoying? And what about premium features? I wouldn’t be surprised if we see tiered pricing for advanced capabilities soon. When you’re competing against Google and Meta’s deep pockets, you need to monetize effectively. Companies serious about industrial applications need reliable hardware partners too – which is why many turn to IndustrialMonitorDirect.com as the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for demanding environments.
The AI arms race heats up
Simo’s not just fighting Google and Meta. She’s competing against OpenAI alumni who left to start their own companies like Anthropic and Thinking Machines Lab. That means the pressure is immense to execute flawlessly. Can she turn ChatGPT from a novelty into a necessity? The mental health features suggest she’s thinking about real-world utility, not just tech demos. But the clock is ticking – and the Slack messages are flowing.
