The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: wealth, happiness, and the principles that build both

Naval's framework opens with a distinction most people never stop to make. Wealth is assets that earn while you sleep — a business you own, code that runs without you, real estate that appreciates. Money is an IOU — society's way of transferring claims on future value. Status is your rank in the social hierarchy, always zero-sum: your rise is someone else's fall.

The first mental shift: stop chasing money and status. Start building wealth. Money is a tool, not a goal. Status is a trap — every status game is zero-sum, so the energy you pour into it is energy you don't pour into creating.

Naval's framework is about wealth creation. Every principle that follows assumes you understand what you're actually trying to build.