The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, Eric Jorgenson, 2021
In The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, Eric Jorgenson compiles Naval’s wisdom on wealth, happiness, and building startups. The book covers owning equity instead of renting out your time, finding specific knowledge at the edge of knowledge, using leverage (capital, people, products with no marginal cost), and learning to sell and build. It also explores happiness as a learnable skill, being present in the moment, and removing the feeling that something is missing from your life.
Top 3 Learnings:
Own equity, don’t rent out your time. Learn to sell, learn to build—then you’re unstoppable. Find specific knowledge that can’t be trained for—it emerges when you follow your curiosity. Business risks taken under your own name create equity. Code and media work for you while you sleep. Labor leverage is status, not relevant—stay small. Become the best in the world at what you do, redefining what it is until that’s true.
Happiness is learnable and comes from removing the feeling that something is missing. Happiness is being in the moment. Most suffering comes from avoidance. Practice choiceless awareness meditation, transcendental meditation, or close your eyes for one hour per day for at least 60 days. Be impatient with actions, patient with results. The hardest thing isn’t doing what you want—it’s knowing what you want.
Before searching for product-market fit, ensure passion-product fit. The product is an extension of the founder’s personality. The market and necessary skills must match the founder. Commit for 10 years. Have enough understanding of the space to be contrarian. It’s easier to commit to something big than something small. Don’t enter something you’ve only loosely brainstormed—understand the market deeply over weeks and months.
Why and when to read it:
Read this when you’re thinking about building wealth, starting a company, or seeking happiness. It’s especially valuable for entrepreneurs, creators, and anyone wanting to escape the time-for-money trap. The book provides philosophical and practical guidance on building specific knowledge, using leverage, and finding fulfillment, making it perfect for anyone questioning their career path or wanting to build something of their own.