ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has an internal email system that lets employees directly raise problems with CEO Sam Altman and other top leaders when work is being slowed down by bureaucracy or internal bottlenecks. According to a Fortune report, the system, called “friction”, allows staff to flag issues ranging from technical problems to workplace processes that are preventing teams from moving quickly. If leadership considers an issue important, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman or OpenAI President Greg Brockman can step in to help resolve it.
‘Friction’ email gives OpenAI employees direct access to leadership
According to the report, employees can send complaints or suggestions to friction@openai.com, where OpenAI’s leadership team reviews the messages. The reported issues can include broken internal systems, slow approval processes, or office-related concerns such as insufficient IT vending machines.If a complaint is considered significant, it can be escalated to Altman or Brockman, who may intervene to remove the bottleneck. The report said one example led OpenAI to test a new parking system for employees with long commutes, while another improved the process for granting API credits.The report quotes a former OpenAI employee who said that the system gives employees a way to “complain about big company bullsh*t directly to Sam” and helps leadership remove unnecessary bureaucracy.While the email address had existed earlier, the report said it became more structured after Fidji Simo joined OpenAI in 2025 as CEO of Applications. During her tenure, Simo launched a three-month listening tour to understand employee concerns and later asked Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Operations Irina Kofman to oversee the inbox and ensure important issues were addressed. She also reportedly introduced monthly Slack updates so employees could track progress on reported concerns.Although Simo left OpenAI in July to focus on her health and healthcare startup, the friction process reportedly remains in place.
OpenAI’s internal email system similar to Jeff Bezos ‘ escalation emails
OpenAI’s email system is similar to a well-known practice at Amazon under founder Jeff Bezos. Customers could email Bezos directly, and if he believed an issue needed attention, he would forward it to the responsible team with only a question mark. Inside Amazon, these became known as “Jeff B escalations” and required immediate action.
