Chapter Content
Okay, so, um, I'm writing this, and it feels kind of strange, you know? 'Cause I swore off writing intros for other people's books, like, years ago. But, uh, I'm breaking that rule this time for, like, three reasons. First off, this book, it's gonna be, like, totally free online for everyone, no strings attached. Second, I've known Naval for, jeez, over a decade, and I've always thought someone should, you know, write something like this. And third, maybe, just maybe, writing this intro will up my chances of him naming his next kid Tim. Or even "Timbo," I'd even take that, haha.
You know, out of all the people I know, Naval's just got this crazy blend of, like, wisdom and courage that's just... off the charts. And it's not that "charge in without thinking" kind of courage, you know? It's more like, "think it through, plan it out, then act." He really doesn't just follow the crowd. He’s always been on his own path, doing his own thing with his life, his family, his businesses. And, like, his success comes from really consciously choosing to be different, to be unique.
Naval, he's so straight up. He doesn’t beat around the bush, and yeah, sometimes he can be, like, brutally honest. But that’s one of the things I really respect about him, you know? You never have to guess what he's thinking. You always know where you stand with him. In a world where so many people are, like, saying one thing and meaning another, it’s just, it’s like a breath of fresh air, you know?
We hang out, like, a lot. We do business together. We've traveled all over the world. And, I think I'm pretty good at reading people, and I really know Naval, I mean, really. He's the guy I call most when I need advice. I've seen him in all kinds of situations, the good times, the bad times, recessions, booms, everything you can imagine.
Yeah, he’s the CEO and co-founder of AngelList. Yeah, he also co-founded Vast.com and Epinions – which, by the way, got bought by Shopping.com and went public, so that's pretty cool. And, yeah, he's an angel investor who’s, like, hit it big with investments in Twitter, Uber, Yammer, OpenDNS... I mean, the list goes on.
So, you can see he’s, like, a total expert in the business world. He's not just some philosopher sitting in an armchair, you know?
But the reason I value his thoughts, his sayings, his ideas so much isn't just because he's been successful in business. There are, like, tons of "successful" people out there who look great on the outside, but their personal lives are a mess, and they’re totally miserable. You gotta be careful about copying those people. You don't want to take the good with the bad.
I value Naval because he:
Is skeptical about almost everything.
Thinks from first principles.
Tests things out to see if they work.
Doesn't lie to himself.
Changes his mind when he needs to.
Laughs, like, a lot.
Sees the big picture.
Plays the long game.
And, most importantly, doesn’t take himself too seriously. That last one is huge.
Basically, Naval’s brain is like this crazy awesome cocktail of ideas, and you get to, like, take a sip of it in this book.
So, read it carefully, think about it, but don't just blindly copy everything. Take his advice, test it out in your own life, see if it works for you. Think deeply about his ideas, but don't treat them like gospel. Naval wants people to challenge him, as long as they have good reasons.
My life's better because Naval's in it. And if you treat this book like a friendly, super-smart, and capable sparring partner, it could change your life too.
So, you know, open your mind and let Naval's wisdom in.