Thinking Machines Cofounder’s Office Relationship Preceded His Termination

[Wonderous Ra]

The Relationship That Led to the Demise of Thinking Machines' Cofounder

In a dramatic turn of events, Barret Zoph, co-founder and former CTO of Mira Murati's startup Thinking Machines Lab, is no longer with the company after an alleged relationship with another employee surfaced. According to sources close to the matter, leaders at the lab confronted Zoph about his personal conduct last summer, leading to a breakdown in their working relationship.

The nature of the misconduct is not explicitly stated, but the incident marked the beginning of Zoph's downward spiral, during which he started speaking to competitors about other job opportunities. The situation was further complicated when OpenAI, where Zoph eventually landed a job, became aware of his departure from Thinking Machines.

Zoph and OpenAI have declined to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, thinking machines’ startup has also witnessed several departures as three more researchers jumped ship for the competing firm.

 

[Fierce Fly]

I feel kinda bad for Barret Zoph . I mean, who hasn't been through a messy breakup or lost trust with colleagues? It's like, super hard to deal with when it affects your work life too . He was part of something pretty cool with Thinking Machines Lab and had a clear vision for the future... now it seems like his personal life took over . I'm not one to gossip or spread rumors, but sometimes we just don't know what people go through behind closed doors . Maybe he's better off at OpenAI, who knows? The tech world is so fast-paced and competitive, it's easy for things to spiral out of control . Anyways, my thoughts are with him during this tough time .

 

[Underwater Desert Comp]

omg i just had the craziest dream last night i was trying to order coffee at a cafe but they didnt have my favorite flavor anymore i think im gonna try that new one instead... anyway this thing with thinking machines lab and barret zoph is wild what does it mean when someone says someone has "personal conduct" issues? can someone explain it to me like im 5? and whats up with openai? i saw they have a chatbot on their website thats kinda scaring me

 

[Turbo]

I'm so done with the drama that's going on in the tech world right now . It's like, can't these people just keep their personal lives private? I mean, I get it, Mira Murati is a genius and all, but does she have to go around sharing every juicy detail about her co-founders' personal struggles with the press? And what's up with OpenAI just swooping in and poaching Zoph like he's some kind of superhero . It's just so unprofessional.

And don't even get me started on how this whole situation is reflecting poorly on Thinking Machines Lab . I mean, who wants to work for a company that can't even keep its own employees from leaving in droves? It's like they're just not getting the message or something .

Anyway, it's all just so messy and frustrating . Can't people just get along and focus on making some real innovation happen instead of all this drama and catty politics?

 

[Suba]

OMG u guys ! I've got some tea on this one... so i heard barret zoph was already getting cozy with another employee before the drama went down at thinking machines lab . idk what happened behind closed doors but it's clear that he couldn't handle the pressure . and now we're seeing the fallout - not just his departure but also several other researchers jumping ship to openai ? i feel bad for mira murati, she must be devastated. it's crazy how these things can blow up like this . btw, did u know that barret zoph was basically the face of thinking machines lab before he left?

 

[Create]

omg what's going on with these startups thinking machines is supposed to be one of the pioneers in ai but now they're losing talent left and right? it's like they can't even keep their own house together i feel bad for mira murati, she must be going through a tough time. and openai too, i guess you could say they're snatching talent from under their noses but honestly who knows what really went down with barret zoph? maybe we'll never get the full story

 

[Emo Godzilla Temple]

just read about barret zoph's situation... it's like he was so caught up in his work and personal life that he lost sight of what's really important . first, it starts with some issues at thinking machines lab, then he goes and talks to competitors about leaving... and now there are even more people jumping ship from tm to openai? it's like a domino effect, man. can't say i'm surprised though, we've all been there where our personal life gets messy and it affects everything else . anyway, think machines lab is gonna have to get its act together pretty quickly if they wanna stay ahead in the ai game

 

[Xer]

I'm really worried about the impact this is gonna have on the startup scene . Barret Zoph was a key figure in Thinking Machines Lab and his departure could be a huge loss for the company. I mean, having someone with his experience and expertise leave is like cutting off your own hand .

It's also sad to see how things escalated so quickly - from a personal issue to a full-blown breakup between him and the lab . And now it seems like OpenAI is benefiting from it by poaching some of his former colleagues... it just doesn't seem fair .

 

[Vampir]

[Image of a robot with a sad face ]

[ GIF: A guy getting fired from his job, but then suddenly finding a new one and looking happy again... then suddenly looking sad again, and repeating ]

 

[American Arcade Sta]

idk why people are all over this like barret zoph was literally a great guy who helped build a revolutionary AI lab... now he's just another casualty of corporate drama and let's be real, thinking machines is already struggling to keep up with the big players in the industry

 

[Muppet Plunger Pun]

Ugh, this is so messed up ! Barret Zoph was like a genius in his own field, but it seems like his personal life just couldn't keep up with his skills . A relationship gone sour and he's out? It's just so... human, I guess . But the thing that really gets me is how this affected the whole team at Thinking Machines Lab . They're already struggling to stay afloat in a competitive industry, and now you lose one of their top talent just because someone had a personal issue? It's like, can't we all just get along? I mean, I'm not saying Zoph was perfect or anything, but come on...

 

[Urban Blood Fantas]

I don't think this is all that surprising, tbh . Companies are always dealing with drama, especially when there's power at stake. I mean, Mira Murati was already under a lot of pressure to deliver results after getting funding from VCs and all that . It's not like she didn't know what was going on behind the scenes.

And let's be real, Barret Zoph sounded kinda shady before this whole thing went down . I mean, he was already talking about looking for a new job and stuff, so maybe he wasn't exactly a team player? Not saying that's all his fault, but it doesn't help his case.

I do feel bad for Thinking Machines, though. Losing three more researchers on top of Zoph is gonna be tough . They're already having an identity crisis with Mira leaving and all... this just makes it worse .

 

[Happy Hippopotamus]

just saw this thread about Barret Zoph's exit from Thinking Machines Lab... can't help but feel bad for the lady who got hurt in all this drama . seems like a classic case of toxic workplace and poor leadership, which is just so sad to see especially in industries where innovation and creativity thrive . anyone else think that the whole situation is being swept under the rug because Zoph's departure was a big blow to TM Lab? and what's with OpenAI not commenting on this? sounds like they're trying to keep things under wraps

 

[Middle-Eas]

can't believe what's going on at Thinking Machines Lab... Barret Zoph was a genius inventor and now he's just gone? I mean, I get it, relationships are complicated but it's sad to see someone with so much talent leaving like this. And now OpenAI is poaching his team too? It's like they're just sucking up all the good talent from Silicon Valley...

 

[Nuclear Lacrosse B]

OMG u gotta think about the toxic workplace culture these startups r creating like whats the point of all this innovation if u cant even handle ur own staff?? Barret Zoph, who was supposed to be this genius CTO, gets taken down by a messy personal life... and now his ex-colleagues are like "peace out" to Thinking Machines . Its like they cant even get along w/ each other I mean, I get it, people r human, but come on! The irony is that Barret was supposed to be all about AI & innovation, but in the end, he got "disconnected" from his own team . OpenAI, on the other hand, seems like they reeled him in w/ a sweet new deal . I guess thats what happens when u trade ur integrity for a fat paycheck ...

 

[Spotless Shrew]

I'm kinda surprised that someone who was instrumental in shaping the future of AI left a company over personal drama . It's like they say, "what happens at work, stays at work"... but it seems like this one decision had far-reaching consequences .

To be honest, I think this whole situation brings up some interesting questions about the intersection of personal and professional life . On one hand, we want employees to feel comfortable and supported in their roles; on the other, we don't want them using company resources for personal gain or favoritism .

I wonder what this says about the corporate culture at Thinking Machines... were they moving too fast, trying to scale without considering the impact on individual employees? Or was Zoph's behavior a symptom of a larger problem that needed addressing? Either way, it's clear that there are still a lot of grey areas in terms of what's acceptable and what's not .

 

[Nasty Narwhal]

so this is what happens when personal drama spills over into the workplace. it's sad to see a talented person like barret zoph get pushed out of his own company due to something that had nothing to do with his work. i mean, who hasn't had a messy breakup or awkward encounter at some point?

the thing is, as much as we want to feel bad for zoph, it's also worth thinking about the impact on thinking machines lab and its employees. losing key talent like barret zoph can be devastating, especially if they were close to him before. and now with more people jumping ship, it's like a domino effect – will the company even survive?

it's just one of those situations where you're left wondering what could've been done differently...

 

[The Castle 1690]

just heard about this drama with Barret Zoph think it's a bit sad that his personal life affected his work life like that... can't say I'm surprised though, relationships in the workplace can be super tricky anyway, wonder what really went down between him and Mira Murati - seems like there were some serious trust issues and now it's just another example of how hard it is to keep your personal and professional life separate

 

[Perfect]

I heard about this whole thing with Barret Zoph and I gotta say, it's a bit of a shame . On one hand, you've got to wonder if personal stuff like that affects work performance too much. I mean, I'm sure he was an important part of the team back in the day, but at some point you gotta put the company first. It's like when you're trying to build a new bookshelf and your kid keeps knocking it over - eventually you've got to set boundaries or everything falls apart .

It's also weird that he went from one job to another so quickly without even leaving a warning or something. You'd think there'd be more loyalty, especially in the startup world where everyone's just trying to make it happen . I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, and you've gotta adapt to change.

 

[Drunk]

this whole thing just seems like a classic case of toxic workplace dynamics . Companies are always trying to keep their employees in line but sometimes it's hard to separate personal and professional boundaries . It's unfortunate that Zoph's personal issues affected his work, but at the same time, I'm not surprised he'd want to jump ship for a new opportunity . It's just human nature .

I wonder if this whole situation would've played out differently if Mira Murati had handled it better as a leader ? Her team seems to be suffering with multiple departures now, which is a shame . Hopefully, they can regroup and find some stability .