'I don't wake up at 5': IIT Bombay alum says he is a multi-millionaire in 20s, doesn't follow 'ideal habits'

Aman Goel elaborated that most days, he woke up around 8.30 am, and sometimes as late as 9 am.

Aman Goel, the CEO of GreyLabs AI and an alumnus of IIT Bombay, has sparked significant debate with a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) challenging widely accepted ideas about the habits necessary for success. In his post, Goel, who became a multi-millionaire in his 20s, claimed that he achieved this milestone without adhering to the so-called "ideal habits" often promoted by influencers.

According to Goel’s LinkedIn profile, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Bombay, graduating in 2017. Following his graduation, he co-founded Cogno AI, a company that was later acquired by Exotel. Currently, he serves as the co-founder and CEO of the Mumbai-based GreyLabs AI.

In his viral post, Goel asserted that he does not wake up early, does not take cold showers, and does not read books—activities that are often cited as essential practices by successful business figures. “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,” Goel wrote. “Yet, here I am—a multi-millionaire in my 20s.”

He elaborated that most days, he woke up around 8.30 am, and sometimes as late as 9 am. He admitted that he could not remember the last time he read a book, preferring instead to gain knowledge through quicker sources such as social media and podcasts. “Here’s the truth: The ‘ideal lifestyle’ influencers push is NOT a prerequisite for success,” he stated.

Goel shared three simple steps for those aspiring to become millionaires: “Build something valuable. Sell it to customers. Repeat until you make your millions.” He contended that what truly mattered was delivering value and taking action, not adhering to a rigid set of habits. “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 explained.

Emphasising individuality, Goel advised people to adopt routines that worked for them rather than blindly following the advice of online influencers. He made it clear that his intent was not to dismiss the importance of good habits but to question their portrayal as essential for success. “This post is not to undermine the impact of good habits, like waking up early, which have been known to be beneficial,” he clarified. “This post is to say that you don’t have to do something only because of the FOMO created 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.Yet, here I ama multi-millionaire in my 20s.- I wake up at 8:30 AM, sometimes even 9 AM. I sleep for 8 hours
Aman Goel (@amangoeliitb) December 16, 2024

The post, which accumulated over 60,000 views, elicited mixed reactions on X. Some commenters criticised Goel’s stance. One user argued, “Good habits just increase 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 is more than college dropouts.”

Another commenter referenced Goel’s academic achievements, saying, “Comparing random mids to yourself who is a JEE rank 33, laughed.”