Entrepreneur Naveen Jain's Morning Ritual: Three Hours of Reading
Naveen Jain is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who dedicated his whole life to solving the biggest problems and challenges we have and seem impossible.
He came to America with only $5 in his pocket and, through innovation and pioneering multiple industries, turned those into billions. Naveen believes that our only limit is our imagination and wants to transform philanthropic ideals into the form of self-sustaining economic vehicles that people value for their products.
He’s the founder of several companies, including Moon Express, the first company that was granted the permission to leave Earth’s orbit and land on the moon, with the goal of harvesting planetary resources and develop infrastructure to make humanity a multi-planetary society. He’s also the founder of Viome, a healthcare company that aims to make illness elective one day by identifying microbial biomarkers that are predictive of chronic diseases and adjust the microbial imbalance through personalized nutrition.
Naveen was named Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Silicon India’s most admired serial entrepreneur, and received the Albert Einstein Technology Medal for his pioneers in technology. He also founded World Innovation Institute, iNome, Bluedot, TalentWise, Intelius and InfoSpace, he’s trustee of the X PRize Foundation board and he’s on the board of Singularity University.
In October 2018, Naveen launched his first book, “Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance“, where he talks about how curiosity, imagination and innovation create a life without limits.
Naveen is also an avid reader and starts his day reading books for three hours. From our interview you’ll learn more about his reading habits and the authors who had an impact on him and contributed to his thought process. Enjoy!
What books had the biggest impact on you?
A few that come to mind include: Abundance by Peter Diamandis, Life at the Speed of Light by Craig Venter and How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon. However, every book I’ve read has impacted my thoughts in a different way. Whenever I am excited by a new topic or industry, such as the microbiome – which has resulted in the formation of Viome, I read any and all books on the topic. Each book contributes to my thought process and what is the next step to take.
Was there a moment, specifically, when something you read in a book helped you? Can you tell us about it?
All the books I’ve read have influenced my thought process, each book shares a new data point or perspective. The new information that I gather from all the books leads me to the next step and eventual formation of a new idea.
What five books would you recommend to young people interested in reaching for the moon (and beyond)?
The books I mentioned previously – Abundance by Peter Diamandis, Life at the Speed of Light by Craig Venter and How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon. Additionally Money Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins and, of course, Moonshots :).
Please tell us more about your reading habits & rituals. How do you make time for reading? How often do you read? What format do you prefer?
I wake up at 4 AM every morning and I spend the first three hours reading – anything from scientific papers to books and the most up-to-date data I can find on my latest topic of interest. I always prefer physical books.
How do you make sure you also internalize what you read? Do you take notes or have any other technique for conquering the torrent of information?
I tend to take in books and information in smaller chunks – I read about 10-20 pages at a time and reflect on the information to be sure I can immerse myself in the information and fully understand it.
What’s your system for choosing what book to read next? (do you prioritize books recommended by certain people, for example?)
Yes, I’ll take recommendations from my close colleagues and friends. I’ll also read books from authors I am familiar with or I know are experts in a certain topic I am interested in at the moment.
What book are you currently reading and what are you expecting to gain from it?
I just ordered 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, I’m looking forward to reading that this weekend. I’m excited to read about Harari’s views of the future and how we may approach it as human beings.
Interview with entrepreneur Naveen Jain (@naveen_jain_ceo): 'All the #books I've read have influenced my thought process, each book shares a new data point or perspective.' Share on XMany successful people offer the advice “follow your passion”. What would you recommend to someone who’s very young and not yet aware what’s their passion? Where should they begin their professional journey?
Dream so big that people think you’re crazy and never be afraid to fail because every idea may not work and every idea that does not work is simply a stepping stone to a different idea and a better idea that can lead to success.
Links where you can follow Naveen Jain or find out more about his projects:
- NaveenJain.com
- Moon Express
- Viome
- Follow Naveen on Twitter | Linkedin
- Naveen Jain as a guest on Impact Theory: “Why curiosity will save the world“
- Moonshots book
All books mentioned by Naveen Jain in our interview:
- Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, by Peter Diamandis
- Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life, by J. Craig Venter
- How Will You Measure Your Life?, by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, Karen Dillon
- MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom, by Tony Robbins
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari
- Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance, by Naveen Jain