"Find what feels like play to you but looks like work to others. You are going to outcompete them" says AngelList Founder Naval Ravikant

Many startup stories focus on long hours, stress, and sacrifice. Naval Ravikant, the founder of AngelList, has long shared a different view. He believes lasting success comes from doing work that feels natural and enjoyable, not forced. 

This idea first came up during The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in June 2019 and was later printed word for word in The Almanack of Naval Ravikant in 2020.

Since then, the idea has been shared widely among founders and creators. It stands out because it challenges the belief that success always requires struggle.

Naval Ravikant’s Exact Quote and What He Means

“Find what feels like play to you but looks like work to others. It looks like work to them, but to you it feels like play. It is not work. You are going to outcompete them because you are doing it effortlessly,” says Naval Ravikant 

The quote is tied to his idea of specific knowledge. He says some skills come only from real interest, not from school or training programs. In The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, he explains that people can be trained for jobs, but interest cannot be taught.

When someone enjoys what they are doing, they spend more time on it without forcing themselves. Learning happens faster, and effort feels lighter. Over time, this creates an edge that others find hard to match.

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Indian Founders Who Reflect This Idea

India’s startup space offers clear examples of this way of working. Nithin Kamath, the founder of Zerodha, started trading at 17 because he liked it, not because he planned a career. He faced losses early on and never earned a college degree. Still, his interest in markets led to Zerodha’s flat ₹20 brokerage model. Today, the company reports ₹7,500 crore in FY25 revenue and holds about 18 percent market share.

Byju Raveendran began by teaching math to friends preparing for the CAT exam. He enjoyed explaining problems in simple ways. That habit grew into BYJU’S, which later reached a $22 billion valuation and served over 150 million users.

Bhavish Aggarwal started Ola after a bad taxi experience. He spent long hours coding because he wanted to fix the problem. That effort grew into a company valued at $7.3 billion, handling more than 10 crore rides each month.

Together, these stories reflect Ravikant’s core point. When work feels like play, strong results tend to follow over time.

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