OpenAI reportedly has an unusual internal system that gives employees a direct way to flag workplace problems to CEO Sam Altman and other top leaders when bureaucracy or internal bottlenecks slow them down.
According to a Fortune report, the system, called “friction,” allows employees to report everything from technical issues and slow approval processes to everyday workplace problems. If leadership believes an issue needs attention, it can reportedly be escalated to Altman or OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
OpenAI employees can email ‘friction’ complaints
Employees can reportedly send complaints and suggestions to friction@openai.com, where the messages are reviewed by the company's leadership team. The reported concerns can include broken internal systems, lengthy approval processes and office-related issues. Some complaints have reportedly resulted in practical changes.
One example led OpenAI to test a new parking system for employees with long commutes, while another reportedly helped improve the process for granting API credits.
A former OpenAI employee described the system as a way to "complain about big company bullsh*t directly to Sam", adding that it can help leadership eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy.
Fidji Simo helped structure the system
While the email address reportedly existed earlier, the system became more structured after Fidji Simo joined OpenAI in 2025 as CEO of Applications.
Simo reportedly launched a three-month listening tour to understand employee concerns. She later asked Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Operations Irina Kofman to oversee the inbox and ensure important issues were addressed.
Simo also reportedly introduced monthly Slack updates so employees could track progress on concerns raised through the system.
Although Simo left OpenAI in July to focus on her health and healthcare startup, the friction process reportedly remains in place.
OpenAI’s ‘friction’ email resembles Jeff Bezos’ Amazon system
OpenAI's internal system has similarities to a well-known practice used by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Customers could reportedly email Bezos directly with complaints. If he believed an issue required attention, he would forward the message to the relevant team with just a question mark.
These messages became known internally as “Jeff B escalations” and were treated as requiring immediate action.
OpenAI's reported “friction” email follows a similar idea: give employees a direct path to leadership so problems don't get buried under layers of corporate bureaucracy.
