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IIT Bombay alum claims he became a ‘multi-millionaire in his 20s’ without following ideal habits
Aman Goel, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, claims he became a multi-millionaire in his 20s without following any “ideal habits”.
The CEO of GreyLabs AI has shared a post on the importance given to ‘good habits’ and their role in success. Aman Goel, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, claims that he became a multi-millionaire in his 20s without following any of the “ideal habits” that most people set so much store by. In a post shared on X, Goel claimed that he does not wake up early, does not read books and doesn’t take cold showers - all habits that various millionaires swear by.
“I’m a multi-millionaire in my 20s”
According to Aman Goel’s LinkedIn profile, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Bombay. After graduating in 2017, he served as the co-founder and CEO of Cogno AI, which was eventually acquired by Exotel. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Mumbai-based GreyLabs AI.
In his X post, Goel claimed that he became a multi-millionaire in his 20s without following any of the so-called ‘good’ habits that are promoted by “hustle influencers.”
“I don't wake up at 5 AM. I don't take cold showers. I don't read books. I don't follow the ‘ideal habits’ that people claim are essential to becoming a millionaire,” he wrote, adding: “Yet, here I am—a multi-millionaire in my 20s.”
Goel said that most days, he wakes up at 8.30 AM, and sometimes even 9 AM. He cannot remember the last time he picked up a book and likes to gain knowledge through quicker methods - like social media and podcasts.
“Here’s the truth: The “ideal lifestyle” influencers push is NOT a prerequisite for success,” he wrote on X.
Recipe for success
According to Goel, instead of following these ‘ideal habits’, someone who wants to become a millionaire should follow three simple steps: “Build something valuable. Sell it to customers. Repeat until you make your millions.”
“It doesn’t matter if you wake up at 12 noon. It doesn’t matter if you never pick up a book. Success doesn’t come from "ideal" routines—it comes from taking action and delivering value,” he opined.
The IITian added that people should follow a routine that works for them instead of following advice from influencers on the internet.
He added a disclaimer at the end, saying his intent was not to undermine the importance of good habits, but only to say that they are not prerequisites for professional success.
“This post is not to undermine the impact of good habits, like waking up early, which have been known to be beneficial. This post is to say that you don't have do something only because of the FOMO created by hustle influencers,” he wrote.
His post proved divisive on X, where it has racked up over 50,000 views. In the comments section, some people disagreed with him.
“Good habits just increases your probability to win. Like not all college dropouts go on to build successful startups. The probability of someone succeeding with A and A+ grades are more than college dropouts,” wrote Sambhav Daga. “Comparing random mids to yourself who is a JEE rank 33, laughed,” another wrote, pointing to Goel’s impressive academic record.
