What Naval Ravikant thinks about agency
Co-founder of AngelList. Writes and podcasts at nav.al in short, aphoristic pieces on startups, wealth and judgement rather than long essays.
Naval Ravikant did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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19 dated positions, 2019 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Naval Ravikant has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Their wordsIn fact, I would summarize this by saying the key thing that distinguishes entrepreneurs from everybody else right now in the economy is entrepreneurs have extreme agency.
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Their wordsAnd so now maybe we have a motorcycle for the mind, to stretch the analogy, but you still need someone to ride it, to drive it, to direct it, to hit the accelerator, and to hit the brake.
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Their wordsAnd so the solution to that anxiety is action. The solution to anxiety is always action.
- 5 months earlier
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Their wordsFrom what I have observed, the truth of the matter is: People who work very hard and apply themselves and don’t give up and take responsibility for the outcomes on a long enough time scale, end up succeeding in whatever they’re focused on.
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Their wordsBut if you’re going to do anything exceptional, you do have to bet on yourself in some way.
- 4 weeks earlier
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Our readingThe longer the timeframe and the more iteration and thought you apply, the less luck matters.
Their wordsSo you can absolutely move the needle, and it’s not all luck. And especially the longer the timeframe you’re talking about, the more intense the activity, the more iteration you take and the more thinking and choice you apply into it, the less luck matters.
↗Blame Yourself for Everything, and Preserve Your Agencynav.al
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Their wordsSo you have to preserve your agency. You have to preserve your belief that you can change things.
↗Blame Yourself for Everything, and Preserve Your Agencynav.al
- 3 weeks earlier
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Their wordsAnd iterate does not mean repetition. Iterate is not mechanical. It’s not 10,000 hours, it’s 10,000 iterations. It’s not time spent. It’s learning loops.
- 8 days earlier
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Our readingYou only discover your specific knowledge by acting, in a variety of difficult situations.
Their wordsYou are not going to know your own specific knowledge until you act and until you act in a variety of difficult situations.
- 4 years earlier
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Their wordsThe quality of our decisions is paramount in the modern age, because we’re all leveraged.
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Their wordsObviously, hard work is not the solution. Good decision making and high leverage is the solution.
- 14 months earlier
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Their wordsA lot of people think making money is about luck. It’s not. It’s about becoming the kind of person that makes money.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 5th of 37 in this piece
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Their wordsI think also at that point, it starts becoming so deterministic that it stops being luck. So, the definition starts fading from luck to more destiny. So, I would characterize that fourth one as you build your character in a certain way and then your character becomes your destiny.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 6th of 37 in this piece
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Their wordsPeople seem to think that you can create wealth, and make money through work. And it’s probably not going to work. There are many reasons for that. But the most basic is just that your inputs are very closely tied to your outputs.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 7th of 37 in this piece
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Our readingYou escape competition through authenticity, because no one can compete with you on being you.
Their wordsSo, you can escape competition through authenticity when you realize that no one can compete with you on being you.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 9th of 37 in this piece
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Their wordsIf you have high accountability, that makes you less replaceable. Then they have to give you equity, which is a piece of the upside.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 23rd of 37 in this piece
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Their wordsEssentially, taking accountability for your actions is the same as taking an equity position in all of your work. You’re taking greater downside risk for greater upside.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 24th of 37 in this piece
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Their wordsThere’s not really that much to fear in terms of failure, and so people should be taking on a lot more accountability than they actually are.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 25th of 37 in this piece
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Their wordsCoding, writing books, recording podcasts, tweeting, YouTubing, these kinds of things, these are permissionless. You don’t need anyone’s permission to do them, and that’s why they are very egalitarian.
↗How to Get Rich (every episode)nav.al 26th of 37 in this piece