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Jay Shetty PodcastNaveen Jain ON: Ask Yourself These 3 Questions To COMPLETELY CHANGE Your Life! | Jay Shetty
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Moonshot thinking starts with better questions: “Why this, why now, why me?”
Naveen Jain argues that the question you ask determines the problem you solve, and that it can be easier to pursue an audacious idea than a small one. He introduces his three-question framework for starting any new company and ties it to creating value for others rather than chasing money directly.
- •Naveen says asking the right questions is a core entrepreneurial skill
- •He claims audacious goals can be easier than small ones because they change trajectories at scale
- •He lays out his framework: why this, why now, why me
- •He frames impact as improving others’ lives, with money as a byproduct of that
- •Jay sets up the discussion by contrasting “ending illness” with making illness “optional”
Defining “Why this?”: build around improving lives, not chasing money
Naveen expands the first question—why this—by urging people to work backward from the impact of success. He links serving a very large number of people to building a strong business, and emphasizes that focusing on making others’ lives better creates loyal customers.
- •Naveen asks whether success would help a billion people live a better life
- •He says the motivation is not only philanthropic; he frames the business incentive too
- •He says you don’t start by aiming to create a huge company; money follows impact
- •He repeats a guiding filter: how does this make someone else’s life better?
- •He connects customer loyalty to genuinely improving customers’ lives
Making illness optional: chronic disease, food as medicine, and personal empowerment
Using Viome as an example, Naveen explains why he believes chronic diseases are widespread and increasing. He describes the idea of understanding the body at a molecular level and using food as medicine, framing “optional” as an individual’s ability to act on their own health.
- •Naveen lists chronic conditions he sees as part of a broader epidemic
- •He questions why the epidemic grows if humans haven’t biologically evolved quickly
- •He proposes understanding the body at a molecular level and using food as medicine
- •He references Hippocrates to position the idea as a reinvention, not a new invention
- •He explains “optional” as empowering individuals to make choices about their own health
“Why now?”: solving problems by intercepting what’s about to change
Naveen describes the second question—why now—as a test of timing and scalability. He suggests focusing on what has changed recently and what will change in the next few years, and stresses that if something could have been solved years ago with existing tech, it’s a different type of problem.
- •Naveen asks what changed recently and what will change in the next 3–5 years
- •He frames timing as what enables a solution to scale soon
- •He argues: if it could’ve been solved five years ago, the issue isn’t just technology
- •He contrasts using yesterday’s technology vs “intercepting” tomorrow’s technologies
- •Jay reacts to the idea of planning around future capability shifts
“Why me?”: reframing problems by changing the question (moon example)
Naveen explains “why me” as asking a different question than everyone else in the industry. He uses his lunar ambitions as an example: the common question about growing food on the moon leads to only one kind of solution, while asking why we eat opens up entirely different pathways.
- •Naveen defines “why me” as asking a meaningfully different question than experts do
- •He shares the common moon question: how will you grow food?
- •He calls it a good question but the wrong one because it narrows solutions
- •He reframes it as: why do we eat food? (energy and nutrition)
- •He argues that changing the question expands the solution space beyond expert assumptions
Rethinking biology: DNA vs gene expression and what microbiome tests miss
Naveen challenges the idea that DNA testing alone can drive health decisions, arguing DNA doesn’t change while health does. He then explains his shift to gene expression (RNA) and describes why focusing on which microbes are present may be less useful than understanding what they’re doing.
- •Naveen argues DNA doesn’t change across weight gain, disease, or even after death
- •He claims DNA can’t distinguish healthy vs sick if it can’t even tell dead vs alive
- •He points to gene expression (RNA/mRNA) as what changes and can be measured
- •He says many diseases are linked to the microbiome, yet the problem remains unsolved
- •He reframes microbiome testing from ‘who is there’ to ‘what are they doing’
From lab tech to product claims: RNA testing origins and reported user outcomes
Naveen describes finding RNA-testing technology developed for biodefense at Los Alamos National Lab and licensing it for his company’s use. After a sponsor segment where features are described, he returns to the motivation of the work and shares the kinds of messages he says the company receives from users.
- •Naveen says the RNA approach was enabled by technology found at Los Alamos National Lab
- •He describes licensing the biodefense technology and building a business around it
- •During the sponsor segment, features are described such as multiple health metrics and food guidance, plus retesting
- •Naveen says the company has analyzed over 500,000 people and receives frequent testimonials
- •He describes his daily routine and says the work gives him joy because it helps people
Environment over destiny: who you become is shaped by experiences and people
Jay asks how Naveen developed his distinctive way of thinking, and Naveen responds by rejecting genetic determinism as an excuse. He emphasizes that environment influences gene expression and that growth comes from daily improvement and surrounding yourself with people who uplift and challenge you.
- •Naveen argues people use ‘it’s in my genes’ to avoid responsibility
- •He says genes aren’t destiny and links outcomes to environment and gene expression
- •He claims most diseases are not genetic, and frames gene-related risk as dependent on triggers
- •He emphasizes that a series of experiences shapes you, not one dramatic event
- •He stresses choosing people who inspire and push you to be better, and checking daily growth
Imagination as the true limit: childhood poverty, belief, and self-made boundaries
Naveen reflects on growing up poor in India and says imagination is available regardless of material circumstances. He credits his mother’s faith in him and describes “the sky” as an imaginary boundary people use to limit themselves, arguing that those limits don’t actually exist.
- •Naveen describes growing up poor and hearing limiting expectations from others
- •He credits his mother’s belief and her message that ‘sky is the limit’
- •He reframes it: the sky doesn’t exist; imagination is the real limiter
- •He lists examples of identity-based ‘skies’ people create for themselves
- •He describes looking at the moon/stars as equal access to inspiration regardless of wealth
Filtering a noisy world: curiosity, “imagine” and “what if,” and parenting to create thirst
Jay describes the overwhelming volume of information and asks how to avoid distraction. Naveen returns to purpose and impact as filters, then pivots to curiosity as the most important gift—especially for children—using a metaphor about making them thirsty rather than forcing them to drink.
- •Jay discusses constant messaging and the difficulty of filtering information
- •Naveen suggests asking why you’re doing something and whether it improves others’ lives
- •He calls curiosity the biggest gift and focuses on parenting as cultivating it
- •He uses the metaphor: a parent’s job is to make children thirsty, not force drinking
- •He highlights ‘imagine’ and ‘what if’ as key words that expand possibility-thinking
Raising purpose-driven builders: children’s ventures and “love is unconditional, approval is earned”
Naveen shares stories about his three children and frames their achievements around solving real problems. He explains a parenting philosophy that separates unconditional love from earned approval, defining success by lives improved rather than money, and emphasizes modeling behavior through continued work.
- •Naveen describes his oldest child starting a nonprofit to connect young entrepreneurs with mentors
- •He shares examples of later ventures focused on rental deposits and rent-linked rewards
- •He describes his daughter’s focus on women’s education and health and her companies
- •He says he told his children: love is unconditional, approval must be earned through impact
- •He explains why he kept building companies so his kids saw purpose-driven work, not retirement-as-goal
Media numbness, work you don’t love, and Naveen’s “obsession” vs passion framing
Jay connects modern screen habits to a loss of curiosity and asks how people can find energy to be creative after work. Naveen responds that people shouldn’t spend their lives doing what they don’t enjoy, describes his 4 a.m. test for alignment, and argues that winners have obsession with solving a problem rather than mere passion.
- •Jay argues passive screen consumption can numb curiosity and imagination
- •He describes how many people do work they don’t love and ‘switch off’ with TV
- •Naveen says if you’re not jumping out of bed, you may be doing the wrong work
- •He says passion is for hobbies, while ‘true winners’ have obsession with solving problems
- •He frames setbacks as the natural up-and-down rhythm of being alive and warns against living for smoothness
Stress, gratitude, and learning inside imperfect jobs: building skills while finding purpose
Naveen describes chronic stress as a constant fight-or-flight state and ties it to difficulty enjoying life, including during meals. Jay counters with an example of learning valuable skills in jobs he didn’t enjoy, and they align on the idea that even in a mismatched job, you can find something to love and carry forward.
- •Naveen links workplace/home stress to constant fight-or-flight and disrupted digestion/immune function
- •He says negativity (especially news) feeds a cycle of more negativity after work
- •He emphasizes gratitude and love at home as a way to shift out of stress mode
- •Jay describes learning discipline and memory skills from a grocery store job he disliked
- •Naveen agrees with reframing: find something in the current job to fall in love with, even if it’s not the full purpose
Give kids “dots” to connect: resisting mini-me parenting and expanding a child’s canvas
Jay asks about pushback from Naveen’s kids and how he handled disagreements, leading into a story about his daughter rejecting science until deeper exposure changed her mind. Naveen argues parents should prioritize learning and exposure over early “passion,” and closes with the idea that children need many ‘dots’ so they can connect them into their own canvas.
- •Naveen recalls kids pushing back on money and material wants and his response about learning priorities
- •He criticizes a common parenting approach that forces menial work instead of skill-building opportunities
- •He tells a story of sending his daughter to learn broad technologies despite her resistance
- •He says exposure helped her see science/tech as tools to pursue a purpose (women’s health)
- •He warns against molding children into ‘mini me’ careers and emphasizes giving them many ‘dots’ to connect into their own canvas
Publisher timestamps
- 0:00Intro
- 0:16The three things we need to ask ourselves in order to find different solutions to a problem
- 14:04Naveen explains why you need to surround yourself with people who will push you to become better
- 18:41“Your imagination is the only thing that limits what you can do.”
- 24:07How can we cultivate curiosity in the young minds and make the world a better place?
- 37:09This is what happens when you spend your time and energy on things that you don’t enjoy doing.
- 45:35Continuous exposure many ideas open many doors for us to find our passion and learn more
- 56:05Give children as many dots as they can have so someday they are able to connect these dots and create their own canvas.”
