Naval’s philosophy is not about quick schemes, but building wealth through leverage, self-awareness, and long-term thinking. His ideas were first shared on Twitter and expanded in podcasts and interviews.
💡 Core Principles:
1. Seek Wealth, Not Money or Status
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Wealth = assets that earn while you sleep (businesses, products, media).
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Money = a tool for transferring wealth.
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Status = a zero-sum game (if someone wins, another loses).
🔑 2. Play Long-Term Games with Long-Term People
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Build relationships with people known for integrity.
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Reputation compounds like capital.
🛠 3. Learn to Build and Sell
“If you can build it, you can create wealth. If you can sell it, you can monetize it.”
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Learn specific knowledge (unique skills that feel like play to you, but are valuable to others).
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Combine with accountability, leverage, and judgment.
🧠 4. Arm Yourself with Specific Knowledge
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Not taught in school, often discovered through curiosity and personal interests.
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Can’t be easily trained or replaced—usually acquired through experience.
⚖️ 5. Use Leverage
There are 3 types of leverage:
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Labor – people working for you (scales poorly).
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Capital – money working for you (requires permission/trust).
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Code & Media – the most powerful today. Software and content scale infinitely with no marginal cost.
“Fortunes require leverage. Business leverage comes from capital, people, and products with no marginal cost of replication.”
🧘♂️ 6. Focus on Judgment & Clear Thinking
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Better decisions lead to better outcomes.
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Learn mental models and develop good taste in decision-making.
🧱 7. Build Assets That Earn While You Sleep
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Products, code, content, or businesses that generate income without direct time input.
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Avoid renting your time forever (i.e., hourly wages or service work).
🚫 8. Avoid Luck-Based Strategies
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Don’t rely on luck, lotteries, or connections.
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Instead, build yourself into someone who attracts wealth predictably over time.
🔁 9. Be Patient – Play Iterated Games
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Compounding takes time. Stay consistent.
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Wealth and relationships both benefit from compounding over decades.
🧭 Naval’s Final Message:
“You’re not going to get rich renting out your time. You must own equity—a piece of a business—to gain your financial freedom.”
🎯 TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read):
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Build unique knowledge.
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Apply leverage.
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Own equity.
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Play the long game.
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Stay patient, accountable, and relentlessly curious.
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