Early talent density triggers compounding recruitment and funding advantages

Mike McCormick observes that top-performing AI safety organizations share a common pattern: attracting an initial core of exceptional talent draws in peers, which in turn attracts funders seeking high-quality teams. This creates a self-reinforcing flywheel—early hiring decisions disproportionately shape long-term organizational success and fundraising capacity.

Mike McCormick·Published Sep 25, 2026

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Zero to One in AI Safety: Halcyon’s Mike McCormick on Launching 30 New Orgs and the Founder Bottleneck

Original excerpt

they do a great job at at getting a bunch of the best talent. Right? And then, like, you know, the first really talented five people come in, and then, like, the next few people are like, oh, like, all my smartest friends are going there. Let's go there. And then the funders see that. And, of course, the funders wanna fund places that, you know, have really great talent

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