How to Work Hard

Paul Graham’s essay How to Work Hard argues that exceptional achievement demands three ingredients: natural ability, practice, and effort. Reaching the highest levels requires all three.

The Talent-Effort Paradox

Many assume talent and hard work are inversely related. This is wrong. True outliers possess both in abundance. Since natural ability is largely fixed, success depends primarily on working very hard.

Bill Gates never took a day off in his twenties. P.G. Wodehouse rewrote sentences up to twenty times.

Two Types of Learning

Recognizing Real Work: School often presents distorted versions of subjects. You must distinguish genuine work from busywork—real work has a quality of necessity.

Finding Your Limits: Different work types have different sustainable intensity levels. Graham’s writing has a five-hour-per-day maximum, while startup work demanded constant effort. Quality declines beyond individual thresholds.

Interest Drives Effort

Rather than abstract discipline, genuine interest drives sustained effort. Discovering what you’re naturally drawn to matters more than forcing yourself toward prestigious work.

The motivation stems from the work itself—flaws needing correction, problems demanding solutions.

Strategic Focus

Work toward ambitious problems. Aim at genuine difficulty rather than consensus opinions about importance. If you discover an easier approach through your unique perspective, that represents valuable opportunity.

Continuous Self-Assessment

Honestly monitor yourself. Notice both laziness and overwork. Judge your capabilities hour-to-hour. Change directions if results don’t materialize despite sustained effort.