How to Do Great Work
by Paul Graham
Mentioned once across 1 show · first heard Apr 2026 on My First Million.
The general take
Shaan Puri thinks "How to Do Great Work" is genuinely great—though he notes it's a lengthy essay that takes two days to get through. He particularly highlights Paul Graham's insight about enthusiasm serving as both the motor and rudder of your boat, suggesting it's a memorable and useful takeaway.
About
Navigate the weird, chaotic world of modern work, no matter your position While there's no shortage of advice on being amazing or avoiding burnout, what if you simply want to get things done in a workplace that feels increasingly impossible? Effective is here to help you get your job done well without losing your mind. Drawing from up-to-date research and provocative interviews with employees across industries and levels, renowned people consultant Melissa Swift offers a positive, well-illuminated path through the dark forest of destabilizing workplace changes.
Who said what
Shaan Puri👍 Recommends
…explaining how enthusiasm should guide career direction and field selection
“Paul Graham wrote this long, long essay. I don't know if you've ever read it. It's called How to Do Great Work. Years ago. It's like it takes you like two days to read this goddamn blog post, but it's great. And in it, he has this one phrase that I remember, which is let enthusiasm be not just the motor, but the rudder of your boat.”
My First Million — How to find your thingat 06:59
Listener reviews
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