Weekly Wisdom #333 - The compound effect of building online

Things That Compound, Naval Ravikant, How to Be Successful & Long-Term Games

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Happy Wednesday!

Naval Ravikant has this framework that changed how I think about work:

“Fortunes require leverage. Business leverage comes from capital, people, and products with no marginal cost of replication (code and media).”

The key insight isn’t about fortunes. It’s about permission.

Capital requires someone to give you money.

Labor requires someone to hire you.

But code and media? You can start tonight. No one has to approve you. No one has to fund you. No one even has to notice you—yet.

And here’s what makes them powerful: they compound. They work while you sleep.

I think about this whenever I look at the numbers on my blog. I started it years ago, posting into what felt like a void. Maybe 10 views per post. Most of them friends and family.

Last month? 2.5 million impressions. 25,000 readers. Right now, as I write this, 25 people from all over the world are reading something there. I still find it astonishing.

None of it required permission. I didn’t need a publisher, a platform, or a patron. I just needed to keep showing up long enough for the compounding to kick in.

There are thousands of people all over the world that have started without permission, and built something online, in every niche you can imagine. If you do something professionally (or for fun), someone has built a version of it online.

The problem for most people getting started is that compounding is invisible at first.

The flat part of an exponential curve looks identical to a straight line at zero. You can’t tell you’re on the right path until you’re past the inflection point.

Most people quit during the flat part. That’s the filter. That’s the edge.

What are you building that compounds?

Have a great week!

Graham

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📚 Book Notes: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant — Eric Jorgenson​

This is the book version of Naval’s famous tweetstorm on wealth and happiness. The core ideas: seek wealth, not money. Build specific knowledge that can’t be taught. Apply leverage through code and media.

My favorite line: “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.”

If you’ve never read Naval’s ideas, start here. If you have, it’s worth revisiting.

📖 Article: How to Be Successful — Sam Altman​

Altman’s 13 points on success, written before ChatGPT made him a household name. The most relevant to today’s theme: “Compound yourself” and “Build a network.”

His take: most people underestimate the value of working on something for a long time. You want to be good at something rare and valuable—and the way to get there is through compounding effort over years.

Pairs perfectly with Naval’s leverage framework.

📣 Quote:

"Play long-term games with long-term people. All returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest." — Naval Ravikant

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