Navigating the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence is no simple task. At OpenAI, a unique approach—alongside a specific term—empowers staff to swiftly navigate around red tape and address obstacles that hinder progress.
This concept is referred to as “friction,” and it can often have the backing of key figures like CEO Sam Altman or President Greg Brockman, effectively accelerating resolutions to various challenges faced by teams.
The process kicks off when an employee sends an email to [email protected] detailing an internal obstacle. These obstacles can include malfunctioning technical systems, ineffective processes, or even workplace grievances, such as insufficient IT vending machines.
OpenAI's leadership carefully sorts through messages sent to the friction email, prioritizing those they believe deserve immediate attention. For instance, to tackle parking shortages, the company launched a pilot initiative to reserve parking spots for employees with lengthy commutes. On another occasion, teams requested improvements in the process for distributing API credits effectively and at scale. If a matter is deemed significant, Altman or Brockman may be involved to ensure a timely solution.
A former OpenAI staff member shared positive feedback about the friction system, describing it as an efficient mechanism for leadership to gather insights from the ground level. This approach allows teams to address issues before they escalate, which is particularly crucial with OpenAI's employee count projected to surpass 8,000 by the end of this year, including offices in various locations around the world.
“It’s an excellent initiative—anyone can voice concerns about corporate inefficiencies directly to Sam, and action will be taken,” remarked the former employee. They emphasized that to effectively cut through bureaucracy, one must be relentless.
Although the friction email process has been in place for some time, it gained traction in the fall of 2025 when Fidji Simo came aboard as CEO of Applications. She embarked on a three-month "listening tour" to better understand the company’s challenges and strategize solutions. A recurring theme in her discussions was the need for speed in light of the company’s growing size.
“Bureaucracy doesn’t appear overnight,” Simo explained. “It creeps in gradually, one unnecessary meeting or extra approval at a time. Each adds just 1 or 2% more difficulty to your work, making them easy to overlook, but those small frictions accumulate.”
Simo refined the process associated with the friction email. She assigned Irina Kofman, OpenAI's VP of Strategic Initiatives and Operations, to oversee the inbox and ensure that crucial issues were addressed. She also initiated a monthly Slack update for the entire company to track the progress made on these concerns, signaling to employees that leadership valued their input. Despite Simo's departure from OpenAI in early July to focus on her health and her new healthcare startup, the friction email process and the accompanying updates continue.
While the efforts to eliminate inefficiencies have undeniable advantages and the friction system has become woven into OpenAI's culture, not all employees are in favor.
One former team leader at OpenAI, who received repeated friction emails during their tenure, expressed that the process could be disruptive, leading to inefficiencies.
"The individual raising the issue likely believes it to be of utmost importance, but for teams like mine that are already stretched thin, it often feels like the most disruptive action," said the former employee.
In a high-pressure work environment where employees frequently work extended hours, these friction emails can trigger unwanted emergencies. “When Sam and Greg deem an issue significant, it becomes a priority, and the person responsible for the blockage is essentially told to comply immediately,” they added. “It’s a serious, 'drop everything' situation.”
However, in the fiercely competitive landscape of AI development, the need to eliminate all potential delays often takes precedence. In tech culture, emergency situations and company-wide “lockdowns” have become an accepted part of the workflow. For instance, in December, OpenAI implemented an internal “code red” to encourage a heightened focus on strategic product initiatives to counter competitors like Google and Anthropic.
The friction emails at OpenAI bring to mind a well-known practice at Amazon, where founder Jeff Bezos famously responded to customer concerns with a simple question mark if he felt the issue warranted attention from the relevant team. Known as a “Jeff B escalation,” this practiced urgency compelled teams to prioritize immediate resolution. Similarly, OpenAI’s friction email system tackles internal challenges, reflecting a commitment to maintaining operational efficiency.
