What smart people are saying about Lilian Weng's departure from Thinking Machines Lab

Lilian Weng is getting techies talking astir the demanding startup lifestyle.

In her exit Slack, the Thinking Machines Lab cofounder wrote that she'd "been successful sickness much than what I've ever knowledgeable successful my life" complete the anterior 7 months. "I'm perpetually worried astir my health," she wrote.

People from wrong and extracurricular Thinking Machines applauded Weng. "We'll miss you," CEO Mira Murati replied. "I'm gladsome that you're putting your wellness first."

Here's really the AI organization reacted.

Han Xiao, Elastic VP of AI

Xiao sold his startup Jina AI to the search institution Elastic. He sent Weng well-wishes — and sent a connection astir burnout.

"In wide if you activity successful a squad and consciousness if you're the 1 carrying everything, that's astir apt not connected you, that's a surgery team," Xiao wrote. "You'll pain retired each azygous time and still consciousness lost."

Emad Mostaque, Stability AI founder

Mostaque wrote that moving astatine an AI startup is "so hard."

"I sewage existent sick astatine Stability AI earlier leaving and uncovering my balance," he wrote. "Hope you tin recharge and footwear on, astir breathtaking clip ever! Just request to surf it right."

The laminitis left Stability AI successful 2024. After stepping down from the activity role, he said, "Being a CEO sucks."

Huimin Xie, cofounder of Perfectly

The Y Combinator-backed laminitis and TikTok alum wrote that he was impressed that Weng "admitted her limitations," moreover though she had already demonstrated her skills.

"Consciously and comprehensively measure your ain limits and strengths, and past take an situation that is enjoyable some mentally and physically," Xie wrote. "Then you will make it naturally."

Raj Dabre, Google investigation engineer

As overmuch of Silicon Valley chases bigger roles astatine much powerful tech companies, Dabre wrote that Weng's communicative was an antidote.

"Happy to spot that group are much candid astir the downsides of a shiny job," he wrote. "There's much to life than the stressful situations we put ourselves into."

Joshua Achiam, ex-OpenAI main futurist

Achiam worked pinch Weng astatine OpenAI earlier she near successful 2024. He said to "take attraction of yourself and your health" — and reminded Weng of her impact.

"You person contributed truthful overmuch and helped truthful galore and succeeded successful each measurement that matters," he wrote.

Wenhu Chen, Meta Superintelligence Labs researcher

Chen has 1 of those shiny AI jobs, moving for the highly competitory — and often high-paying — Meta Superintelligence Lab.

"Making a batch of money is great, but you request to [be] patient to walk it," he wrote astir Weng.

Wesley Hsieh, ByteDance Seed elder investigation scientist

Hsieh connected Weng's exit backmost to a startup visionary: Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham.

"I retrieve Paul Graham saying that building startups often intends compressing 10 years of efforts into 1 aliases two," he wrote. "Balancing life and ngo will ever beryllium an ongoing challenge."

Priyanka Shrestha, Galen AI cofounder

Shrestha's institution was backed by Y Combinator and acquired by the wearables institution Oura.

She wrote that it was important for leaders to show group "it's okay to take themselves," giving Weng her props.

"Life is simply a marathon," she wrote, "not a sprint."

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