OpenAI employees use direct email to report issues to Sam Altman

OpenAI employees utilize a specific email address, friction@openai.com, to report company issues directly to leadership, including CEO Sam Altman. The inbox is designed to allow the leadership team to triage and address internal problems.

The process was formalized following a listening tour by former CEO of Applications Fidji Simo in late 2025. Simo assigned Irina Kofman, VP of strategic initiatives and operations, to monitor the inbox and established monthly Slack updates to track progress. While Simo has since departed the company, the system remains in place.

Feedback from former employees presents mixed views on the system. Some describe it as an effective way for staff to voice concerns about corporate inefficiencies, citing improvements such as parking priority for long-distance commuters and better API credit processes. Others argue the system creates inefficiency, noting that issues are only resolved if Altman and President Greg Brockman deem them worthy, which can disrupt teams already facing resource constraints.