#191 Naval Ravikant A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

In this episode, the host delves into the life and philosophies of Naval Ravikant, as presented in "The Almanac of Naval Ravikant," a book compiled by Eric Jorgensen with a foreword by Tim Ferriss. Naval's journey from a poor immigrant child in New York City to an influential tech investor and founder of AngelList is explored, highlighting his early self-sufficiency, the transformative power of education at Stuyvesant High School, and his eventual foray into economics and computer science. The discussion emphasizes Naval's principles on wealth creation, the importance of specific knowledge, and finding work that feels like play, underscoring the impact of his maxims on the host's life and work. Naval's insights on leverage, particularly through products with no marginal cost of replication, are noted as key to modern success. Additionally, the episode touches on the structure of Jorgensen's book, which is designed to be engaging and accessible, offering readers a compilation of Naval's thoughts derived from various sources, aiming to inspire and instill timeless wisdom.

• Eric Jorgensen grew up in a single-parent household with his mother working, attending school, and raising him and his brother as latchkey kids.
• He describes a childhood of self-sufficiency, hardship, and poverty as an immigrant family.
• Despite the hardships, he emphasizes the importance of having at least one person who loves you unconditionally for self-esteem.
• Libraries played a significant role in his upbringing, serving as his after-school center and source of knowledge.
• Jorgensen had various jobs from a young age, including delivering Indian food for an illegal catering company and washing dishes.

"My first job was with an illegal catering company in the back of a van delivering Indian food when I was 15."

This quote illustrates Jorgensen's early introduction to the working world and the unconventional nature of his first job, which reflects his determination and resourcefulness from a young age.

• Passing the test to get into Stuyvesant High School was a pivotal moment in Jorgensen's life, providing him with a reputable educational brand.
• The Stuyvesant brand helped him gain admission to an Ivy League college, which led to opportunities in the tech industry.
• Initially, Jorgensen studied economics and computer science with the intention of pursuing a PhD in economics.
• He transitioned from his humble beginnings to becoming an investor and the founder and chairman of AngelList.

"Then I passed the test to get into Stuyvesant High School. That saved my life because once I had the Stuyvesant brand, I got into an Ivy League college which led me into tech."

This quote highlights the transformative impact of education on Jorgensen's life, showing how academic achievement can open doors to future success.

• The podcast episode focuses on "The Almanac of Naval Ravikant," a book compiled by Eric Jorgensen with a foreword by Tim Ferriss.
• The book is a collection of wisdom from Naval Ravikant, an influential thinker and entrepreneur.
• Jorgensen and Ferriss have both been heavily influenced by Ravikant's ideas, which have been applied to various projects, including the podcast.
• The book is structured uniquely, comprising transcripts, tweets, and talks from Ravikant, aiming to present his thoughts in his own words.

"That was an excerpt from the book that I'm going to talk to you about today, which is the almanac of Naval Ravikant, mostly in Naval's words."

This quote introduces the central resource for the podcast episode, setting the stage for an in-depth discussion of Naval Ravikant's philosophies as compiled by Jorgensen.

• Jorgensen emphasizes the power of repetition in conveying one's mission and philosophy, a tactic used by successful founders to instill their ideas in others.
• He notes that repetition is persuasive and that founders must be prepared to repeat themselves over a long period to be effective.

"Repetition is persuasive. You got to be prepared to repeat yourself for a very, very long time."

This quote underlines the importance of consistency and persistence in communication, especially for founders and leaders who are trying to share their vision.

• The podcast discusses the concept of wealth creation as distinct from merely earning money or gaining status.
• Ravikant's tweetstorm "How to Get Rich Without Getting Lucky" is highlighted, offering insights into the mindset and strategies for building wealth.
• The tweetstorm covers various principles, including the importance of owning equity, seeking wealth, embracing accountability, and leveraging specific knowledge.

"You will get rich by giving society what it wants but does not yet know how to get at scale."

This quote encapsulates Ravikant's philosophy on wealth creation, emphasizing the need to provide unique value that meets unmet societal demands.

• Jorgensen and Ferriss discuss the idea of using biographies and the wisdom of others as a means of "downloading" life philosophies to develop one's own unique approach.
• They advocate for thinking of books and the ideas within as intellectual sparring partners, challenging readers to grow and adapt.

"Naval has changed my life for the better. And if you approach the following pages like a friendly but highly competent sparring partner, he might just change yours."

This quote from Tim Ferriss encourages readers to engage actively with the ideas presented in "The Almanac of Naval Ravikant," suggesting that such engagement can lead to significant personal growth.

• The podcast stresses the importance of pursuing one's genuine curiosity and passion to develop specific knowledge that cannot be easily replaced or automated.
• Ravikant's tweetstorm advises that specific knowledge often comes from apprenticeships rather than formal education and that it is crucial for success in today's world.

"Specific knowledge is found by pursuing your genuine curiosity and passion rather than whatever is hot right now."

This quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity and personal interest in developing a unique skill set that can lead to success and fulfillment.

• The Internet has expanded the range of possible careers.
• Infinite leverage is offered by the Internet, particularly through code and media.
• People are yet to fully realize the potential careers and leverage available through the Internet.

"The Internet has massively broadened the possible space of careers. Most people haven't figured that out yet."

This quote highlights the transformative impact of the Internet on career possibilities, suggesting that many are not yet fully aware of the opportunities it presents.

• Leverage is essential for fortune-building.
• Business leverage can come from capital, people, and products that can be replicated without additional cost.
• Capital and labor are traditional forms of leverage that require permission.
• Code and media represent new forms of permissionless leverage.
• Leverage acts as a force multiplier for one's judgment.

"Fortune requires leverage. Business leverage comes from capital, people and products with no marginal cost of replication."

This quote defines leverage as a critical component of success in business, emphasizing the advantage of products that can be replicated easily, such as code and media.

• Specific knowledge combined with accountability leads to good judgment and the ability to raise capital.
• Mastery of foundational skills can accelerate the acquisition of experience and judgment.
• Specific knowledge is more valuable than general business skills.
• Reading biographies can provide insights into the lives of successful individuals.

"To raise money, apply your specific knowledge with accountability and show resulting good judgment."

This quote connects the application of unique and specific knowledge to the ability to attract capital and demonstrates good judgment, which is key in business success.

• Time management and valuing one's time are crucial.
• Tasks should be outsourced if they cost less than one's personal hourly rate.
• Intelligence can manifest in various ways, and there is much to learn from different people.

"If outsourcing a task will cost less than your hourly rate, outsource it."

The quote advises on efficiency and the economic rationale behind outsourcing tasks that are not worth the individual's time, which can be better spent on higher-value activities.

• It's important to become the best in one's field and to redefine one's role until this is true.
• There are no shortcuts to getting rich; it involves applying specific knowledge with leverage.
• True wealth may not be what one initially seeks.

"Become the best in the world at what you do. Keep redefining what you do until this is true."

This quote encourages continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence in one's chosen field as a path to success.

• Continuous learning is the most important skill for wealth creation.
• Creative expressions of learning in free markets lead to the best jobs.

"The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner."

This quote underscores the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability as key factors in achieving financial success.

• Ownership in a business is a path to financial freedom.
• Equity ownership allows for earning potential that is not directly tied to hours worked.

"If you don't own a piece of a business, you don't have a path towards financial freedom."

This quote stresses the importance of equity ownership as a means to achieve financial independence, as opposed to relying solely on salaried work.

• One should focus on what they can uniquely provide to society.
• Authenticity is key to escaping competition.
• Specific knowledge is tied to one's innate talents and curiosity.

"Escape competition through authenticity."

This quote suggests that by being authentic and leveraging one's unique skills, one can avoid competition and find success.

• Technology has democratized consumption but consolidated production.
• The best at something can provide it for everyone due to technological leverage.

"Technology democratizes consumption, but consolidates production."

This quote reflects on how technology has changed the landscape of production and consumption, allowing the best producers to serve a global market.

• Combining uniqueness with leverage is the essence of "productizing yourself."
• It takes time to discover what one can uniquely offer.
• The goal is to find something non-commoditized that can be scaled.

"Yourself has uniqueness, productize has leverage."

This quote encapsulates the concept of turning one's unique abilities into a scalable product or service, which is integral to creating value and achieving success.

• Eric Jorgensen admires Ed Thorp for his balanced life approach.
• Thorp prioritized independence and control over additional wealth accumulation.
• He maintained a balanced life with family, health, career, and financial success.
• Thorp's book, "A Man for All Markets," is recommended by Eric, with a forward by Nassim Taleb.

"Last time I saw him on YouTube, 87 years old, looks like he's 60. 60 years old. And this whole time he optimized for independence and control."

Eric is highlighting the importance of prioritizing personal well-being and family over the relentless pursuit of wealth, as demonstrated by Ed Thorp.

• Naval Ravikant uses Warren Buffett as an example to illustrate the importance of judgment and leverage.
• Buffett's credibility comes from his consistent success and integrity.
• Buffett's approach shows that with the right judgment, one can apply leverage effectively without concern for one's work habits.

"Warren Buffett wins here because he has massive credibility. He has been highly accountable. He's been right over and over again in the public domain."

Naval emphasizes the value of building a reputation for good judgment and integrity, which Warren Buffett exemplifies.

• According to Naval, the three big decisions in life are where you live, who you're with, and what you do.
• These decisions are highly dominating and should be given extensive consideration.
• Tim Urban's blog "Wait But Why" is mentioned as a resource that expands on the importance of these decisions.

"There are basically three really big decisions you make in your early life, where you live, who you're with, and what you do."

Naval advises that significant time should be invested in making these life-altering decisions, as they have long-term effects on happiness and contentment.

• Naval believes in the idea of work that feels like play, which is an evolution back to human independence.
• He supports entrepreneurship and the notion that everyone could potentially have their own company.
• Naval suggests that if work feels like play, one has a competitive edge since it's sustainable and enjoyable long-term.

"I'm always working. It looks like work to others, but it feels like play to me."

Naval's personal approach to work is that it should be enjoyable and play-like, giving him an advantage in his professional endeavors.

• The idea here is that one's real resume is comprised of the challenges and hardships they've overcome.
• Edwin Land's philosophy that the products sold are the results of trial and error is related to this concept.
• The notion is that enduring and overcoming difficulties are what truly define one's experiences and achievements.

"Your real resume is just a catalog of all your suffering."

This quote underscores the belief that the most meaningful and memorable aspects of one's life are often the struggles and how one overcomes them.

• Judgment and wisdom are crucial in an age of infinite leverage.
• Naval defines wisdom as knowing the long-term consequences of your actions.
• He emphasizes the importance of clear thinking over intelligence, citing Steve Jobs as an example of a clear thinker.

"My definition of wisdom is knowing the long term consequences of your actions. Wisdom applied to external problems is judgment."

Naval correlates wisdom with the ability to foresee the outcomes of one's actions and make decisions that capitalize on this foresight.

• Naval and Kobe Bryant both stress the importance of mastering the basics over advanced concepts.
• Kobe Bryant consulted with Michael Jordan about the importance of focusing on fundamentals in basketball.
• Naval argues that understanding the basics is more valuable than memorizing complex, less proven concepts.

"I would rather understand the basics really well than memorize all kinds of complicated concepts I can't stitch together."

Naval advocates for a focus on fundamental principles as the foundation for expertise and effective decision-making.

• Naval suggests that nonconformity and independent thinking are hallmarks of very smart people.
• Quotes from David Ogilvy and Richard Feynman support the idea that talent and innovation often come from those who challenge the status quo.

"Very smart people tend to be weird since they insist on thinking everything through for themselves."

Naval recognizes that being unconventional and thinking independently are characteristics of intelligent and innovative individuals.

• Naval encourages the collection of mental models and reading biographies to learn from others' life philosophies.
• He mentions influential thinkers like Charlie Munger, Nassim Taleb, and Benjamin Franklin.
• Naval uses tweets and maxims as tools to compress and recall his learnings.

"I basically load my head full of mental models."

Naval emphasizes the importance of accumulating mental models as a way to structure thinking and make informed decisions.

• Naval discusses Charlie Munger's concept of inversion, focusing on avoiding mistakes rather than trying to be brilliant.
• The idea is that success is more about not making wrong judgments than making correct ones.

"It's not about having correct judgment, it's about avoiding incorrect judgment."

Naval interprets Munger's inversion principle as a strategy to achieve success by minimizing errors in judgment.

• Compounding applies to various domains, including user growth in businesses, time, and knowledge.
• Consistent reading and learning lead to intellectual growth over time.
• Warren Buffett advised reading 500 pages a day to benefit from knowledge compounding.

"Knowledge is the same way it's going to compound. If you keep reading and learning now, you'll be a lot smarter or maybe a lot less dumb ten years from now and 23 years from now, and so on into the future."

This quote highlights the parallel between financial compounding and intellectual growth, emphasizing the long-term benefits of continuous learning.

• Naval Ravikant's heuristic: If indecision occurs, the answer should be no.
• Derek Sivers also promotes a decisive approach: it's either "hell yes" or no.
• Long-term commitments require a high degree of certainty before saying yes.

"If you can't decide, the answer is no. If I'm faced with a difficult choice, such as, should I marry this person? Should I take this job? Should I buy this house? Should I move to this city? Should I go into the business with this person? If you cannot decide, the answer is no."

This quote encapsulates the heuristic that indecision should lead to a negative response, especially when it comes to significant life choices.

• Reading extensively is an efficient way to develop new mental models.
• Biographies are particularly useful, as exemplified by Elon Musk's reading habits.
• Understanding historical figures like Benjamin Franklin can provide valuable insights.

"What are the most efficient ways to build new mental models? Naval's answer, read a lot. Just read."

Naval suggests that reading is fundamental to acquiring new mental models, which are essential for understanding and navigating the world.

• A genuine love for reading is a superpower in the age of information.
• Re-reading important books can be as valuable as reading new ones.
• Identifying personally significant books is more important than reading widely.

"I probably read one to 2 hours a day. That puts me in the top 1%. I think that alone accounts for any material success I've had in my life and any intelligence I might have."

Naval attributes his success and intelligence to his habit of reading daily, suggesting that it is a critical component of personal development.

• Time is the best filter for knowledge; ancient wisdom can offer valuable insights into timeless problems.
• For modern problems like technology, contemporary sources are more relevant.
• The longevity of a book can be an indicator of its value.

"If you're talking about an old problem like how to keep your body healthy, how to stay calm and peaceful, what kind of value systems are good, how to raise a family and those kind of things, the older solutions are probably better."

Naval argues that for enduring human challenges, the solutions found in ancient texts are often superior due to their tested and proven nature over time.

• The pursuit of happiness, wealth, and health often occurs in that order, but their importance is in reverse.
• Happiness can be cultivated and is a choice.
• Prioritizing happiness and health over wealth leads to a more fulfilling life.

"The three big ones in life are wealth, health, and happiness. We pursue them in that order, but their importance is reverse."

Naval suggests that while people tend to prioritize wealth, the order of importance should actually be happiness first, followed by health, then wealth.

• Focusing on an internal scorecard is crucial for personal satisfaction.
• Being comfortable with personal decisions is more important than external perceptions.
• Life is a single-player game; personal interpretations and experiences are paramount.

"The inner scorecard is all that matters, really. Try to reorient yourself around having an inner scorecard, which means as long as you're comfortable with decisions you're making, you're doing what you feel is right, then be comfortable to being misunderstood by others."

Naval emphasizes the importance of valuing personal judgment and decisions over the opinions of others, advocating for an internal scorecard.

• Happiness is a skill that can be developed through conscious effort.
• Developing skills requires prioritization, dedication, and extensive learning on the topic.
• Focusing on one important goal can lead to improvements in happiness.

"The most important trick to be happy is to realize Happiness is a skill you develop and a choice you make."

This quote underscores the idea that happiness is not merely a state of being but something that can be actively pursued and cultivated like any other skill.

• Screen activities are generally associated with decreased happiness.
• Non-screen activities tend to increase happiness.
• Being mindful of screen time is important for well-being.

"All screen activities are linked to less happiness. All non-screen activities linked to more happiness."

Naval observes a correlation between screen time and happiness levels, suggesting that minimizing screen time could lead to increased happiness.

• Finding one's unique path is crucial for fulfillment.
• Being irrationally obsessed with something can lead to original contributions.
• Authenticity and intense passion are key to personal success.

"Your goal in life is to find the people, business, project or art that need you the most. There is something out there just for you."

Naval encourages individuals to seek out their unique purpose and not to conform to others' paths, highlighting the importance of authenticity.

• Acknowledging the inevitability of death can bring meaning and focus to life.
• Life is temporary, and this realization can lead to greater happiness and peace.
• Viewing life as a game can make it more enjoyable and meaningful.

"Death is the most important thing that's ever going to happen to you. When you look at your death and you acknowledge it, rather than running away from it, it'll bring great meaning to your life."

Naval's perspective on death is that it is a crucial event that, when acknowledged, can profoundly affect how one lives and finds meaning.

• Individuals are responsible for their own health, wealth, and education.
• Taking responsibility for oneself is key to success in any area of life.
• Being oneself with passionate intensity is the best path to fulfillment.

"Doctors don't make you healthy. Nutritionists won't make you slim. Teachers won't make you smart, gurus won't make you calm. Mentors won't make you rich. Trainers won't make you fit. Ultimately, you have to take responsibility, save yourself."

Naval stresses the importance of personal responsibility, indicating that while experts can guide, individuals must take action for their own betterment.

• A collection of principles for living a fulfilling and successful life.
• Themes include being present, honesty, self-discipline, and embracing suffering for growth.
• Health, love, and one's mission are the most important aspects of life.

"Earn with your mind, not your time. 99% of all effort is wasted. Total honesty at all times. It's almost always possible to be honest and positive."

These rules from Naval offer guidance on how to approach life, work, and personal growth with wisdom and integrity.