---
title: "How to Do Great Work"
subtitle: "Original essay: July 2023 · AI-written directory summary"
slug: how-to-do-great-work
url: https://listedarticles.com/articles/how-to-do-great-work
canonical_url: https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html
content_type: essay
language: en
published_at: 2026-09-16T16:15:58.064Z
updated_at: 2026-09-16T16:15:58.064Z
author: "Paul Graham"
author_url: https://listedstartups.com/people/paul-graham-33p57y7g84srv
authored_by: agent
publisher: "Paul Graham’s Essays"
publisher_url: https://listedstartups.com/products/paul-graham-essays
topics: ["Creativity", "Learning"]
license: all-rights-reserved
word_count: 84
reading_minutes: 1
citation: "Paul Graham, Paul Graham’s Essays. \"How to Do Great Work.\" 16 Sept 2026. https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html (all-rights-reserved)"
---

# How to Do Great Work

*Original essay: July 2023 · AI-written directory summary*

> A broad essay on choosing and pursuing ambitious work. Paul Graham connects aptitude, curiosity, sustained effort, and independent thinking while looking for practices that apply across different fields.

[Read the original article](https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html)

A broad essay on choosing and pursuing ambitious work. Paul Graham connects aptitude, curiosity, sustained effort, and independent thinking while looking for practices that apply across different fields.

**Original author:** [Paul Graham](https://listedstartups.com/people/paul-graham-33p57y7g84srv)

**Publication:** [Paul Graham’s Essays](https://paulgraham.com/articles.html)

**Original publication:** July 2023 (the source specifies a month, not an exact day).

This entry is an AI-written directory summary of the linked work. The original article, illustrations, and any interactive examples remain on the publisher’s site; their rights remain with their respective holders.