- Sam Altman pitched his first startup, Loopt, a location-sharing app, in the early 2000s
- Loopt allowed users to see friends' locations and activities in real time using digital maps
- The app reached five million registered users and partnered with major US carriers
An old video showing Sam Altman pitching his first startup idea, a location-sharing app called loopt, has gone viral on social media. The grainy footage, presumably from the early 2000s, shows the OpenAI CEO explaining how the app works, which he developed alongside his fellow Stanford dropout Nick Sivo.
In the now-viral clip, Mr Altman, wearing a neon pink, fluorescent green collared t-shirt, states that the app allows users to see where their friends are in real time, akin to the feature in Snapchat that has been recently implemented in Instagram as well.
"We show you where people are, what they're doing, and what cool places are around you. We make serendipity happen," a young Altman says in the video.
In the video, a baby-faced Mr Altman also explains multiple scenarios to help viewers better understand how the mobile application works. Digital maps help pinpoint people, friends, activities, and even their photo journals. At one point, he jokes about asking a friend to lunch directly through the app - a concept that felt transformational back then.
See the viral video here:
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As the video went viral, garnering plenty of eyeballs, users said Mr Altman looked like a different person back then, from his mannerisms to his way of speaking.
"Interesting, he was actually better at orating then. I wonder if he could choose to do less vocal fry but decides not to," said one user, while another added: "Does this app exist? I love it."
A third commented: "Bro was built different."
Despite its short run, Loopt managed to have five million registered users at its peak. It also managed to forge partnerships with every major US carrier. While the app was innovative for its time, the company struggled to monetise its services in the long run. By 2012, after raising more than $30 million, Loopt was acquired by Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million.
