Miracle Mentality with Tim Storey

Episode 20: How Naveen Jain is Revolutionizing the Treatment of Chronic Diseases

Date: December 29, 2025
Guest: Naveen Jain
Host: Tim Storey

Episode Overview

In this insightful and wide-ranging episode, Tim Storey sits down with visionary entrepreneur Naveen Jain to explore how he’s reshaping the landscape of chronic disease prevention and treatment. The conversation delves into Naveen’s unique approach to mindset, his journey from poverty in India to tech and health innovation in the US, and the game-changing science behind Viome, his company focused on personalized health solutions through gut microbiome analysis. Along the way, Naveen debunks traditional concepts of mastery and expertise, shares powerful stories, and distills actionable wisdom for anyone seeking to live a healthier, more extraordinary life.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The "Miracle Mentality" and Mindset Shifts

[02:22] – [04:09]

• Mindset is constantly evolving through every interaction and experience.
• It's not one monumental event that changes you, but an accumulation of “straws” over time.
• The people around you profoundly influence your outlook—seek out those who promote positivity and possibility.
• Quote:

  “Find people who encourage you... If you can imagine it, you can do it.” — Naveen Jain [03:31]

2. Naveen’s Origin Story: Immigrant Perspective & Ambition

[04:16] – [06:15]

• Grew up extremely poor in India (“didn’t have food to eat, didn’t have a place to stay”) and came to the US with only five dollars.
• Embraced the American dream and opportunities for personal potential.
• Despite flaws, the US is uniquely conducive to entrepreneurship and self-actualization.

3. Observation, Influence, and Breaking Mental Barriers

[06:15] – [08:20]

• Naveen’s realization: Everyone, regardless of background, dreams under the same sky—but social conditioning often creates false mental limits.
• Memorable metaphor about the non-existence of “the sky” as a barrier—barriers are often imaginary.
• Quote:

  “Sky is nothing but a figment of our imagination.... The only barrier was right here in our mindset.” — Naveen Jain [07:15]

4. Redefining Success and Motivation

[08:39] – [10:41]

• Most people re-write their childhood ambitions; at 16 or 17, goals are often simple.
• Real success is the byproduct of improving others’ lives—money follows impact, not the other way around.
• Quote:

  “Making money is like having an orgasm. If you focus on it, you're never going to get it. So enjoy the process.” — Naveen Jain [10:36]

5. Challenging the Myth of Mastery and Expertise

[11:17] – [15:00]

• The world has changed: skills become obsolete quickly, especially with AI.
• True, enduring skill is “learning how to learn” and being intellectually curious.
• Parents and leaders should cultivate curiosity, not just deliver answers.
• Story: Instead of affirming a child’s “blue sky” observation, challenge it to spark deeper questioning.
• Quote:

  “Our job is not to take someone to water and make them drink. Our job is to make them thirsty... Once you give someone intellectual curiosity, they can never stop learning.” — Naveen Jain [12:35]

6. Thinking "Outside the Box" is Actually "From Another Box"

[17:16] – [18:26]

• You can’t truly think outside all boxes—you bring learnings from one “box” (field) and apply them elsewhere.
• Naveen’s seventh industry—never repeats industries to retain disruptive perspective.
• Quote:

  “Once you become good at it, you'll no longer actually be able to disrupt that industry.” — Naveen Jain [17:53]

7. From Tech Innovator to Health Visionary—Naveen’s Entrepreneurial Journey

[18:43] – [24:59]

• Early tech foresight: Predicted the convergence of phone, pager, and Palm Pilot (smartphone) in 2000—ten years before the iPhone.
• Built Intelius by recognizing the potential for structuring and selling information, not just goods, in the Internet era.
• Sees every innovation as an incremental improvement building on predecessors; true originality is rare.

8. A Personal Catalyst: Shifting to Health Innovation

[24:59] – [27:22]

• Inspired by personal loss—his father’s death from stage four pancreatic cancer.
• Realizes that while tackling grand challenges (like mining the moon), basic human suffering from chronic diseases remains unsolved.
• Chronic diseases develop over long periods—should be detectable and preventable if early changes are identified.

9. Viome: Revolutionizing Personalized Health

[27:56] – [39:50]

• Founded Viome in 2016 to answer the question: Why do chronic diseases persist?

• Critiques the industry’s overreliance on static DNA testing—DNA never changes, even as people get sick or healthy.

• Turns focus to RNA (gene expression) and the gut microbiome—the 100 trillion microbes in our body whose gene activity is dynamic.

• Most microbiome tests only identify what organisms are present, not what functions they perform. Viome assesses what the microbes do (metabolize, secrete, interact) and how they affect health.

• The Testing Process:

  • Users send in saliva, stool, and a few drops of blood.
  • 100 million molecular biomarkers are analyzed.
  • Generate comprehensive reports: biological age, cognitive, gut, immune health, and more—down to specific food recommendations and custom supplements.

• Personalization Example:

  • “Don’t eat avocado right now because your uric acid production is too high... Don’t eat broccoli and cabbage because your sulfide production is too high... Eat red meat if you want, because the choline and carnitine ... not being converted into TMAO.” — Naveen Jain [37:47]

• Clinical Results:

  • In 90 days, Viome’s approach led to:
    • 64% of IBS sufferers improving vs. 10% with placebo.
    • Significant HbA1c (blood sugar) reduction in prediabetic users.
    • 74% with depression/anxiety improved vs. 28% placebo.

10. Five Pillars of a Healthy, Long Life

[41:26] – [45:02]

1. Nutrition: No food is universally healthy—personalization is key.
   • “All diseases begin in the gut. Let food be thy medicine. One man’s food is another man’s poison.” — Hippocrates, cited by Naveen [42:37]
2. Stress: Chronic stress impairs digestion and immunity—practice gratitude and shift to relaxation before meals.
3. Exercise: Movement matters more than intensity; walking and bodyweight exercises are sufficient.
4. Sleep: Quality over quantity—deep and REM sleep are crucial.
5. Purpose: Living with purpose measurably extends lifespan and healthspan.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Limiting Beliefs:

  “Sky is nothing but a figment of our imagination... The only barrier was right here in our mindset.” — Naveen Jain [07:15]

• On Success:

  “Making money is like having an orgasm. If you focus on it, you're never going to get it. So enjoy the process.” — Naveen Jain [10:36]
  Tim Storey: “I'm going to use that as my cut and put that as a TikTok.” [10:41]

• On Expertise:

  “Learning to learn is the only skill that never becomes obsolete.” — Naveen Jain [11:53]

• On Personalization:

  “There is no such thing as universally healthy food. There are universally unhealthy food, but there is no food that's good for everyone.” — Naveen Jain [41:41]

• On Purpose:

  “Find something you're willing to die for and then live for it.” — Naveen Jain [45:17]

• Light Moment:

  Tim Storey jokes about the value of his own stool for Viome’s test:
  “That Tim Storey stool would be worth a lot of money on eBay.” [40:46]

Key Timestamps

| Time | Topic/Segment |
|----------|---------------------------| | 02:22 | Naveen on evolving mindsets and influence of peers
| 06:15 | Breaking free of imposed mental limits (“the sky” anecdote)
| 10:36 | Money as a byproduct of impact (“orgasm” quote)
| 11:17 | Myth of mastery/“learning to learn”
| 17:16 | Thinking in different “boxes”
| 18:43 | InfoSpace & Intelius—visionary tech entrepreneurship
| 24:59 | Transition to healthcare after father’s death
| 27:56 | Viome’s focus—rethinking disease, targeting RNA and microbiome
| 35:50 | Viome’s process, sample types, actionable data and results
| 41:26 | Five pillars for health and longevity
| 45:17 | The power of purpose

How to Connect & Learn More

• Viome Website: viome.com — personalized health testing and supplement service
• Naveen Jain: Instagram, LinkedIn, and naveenjain.com

Tone & Takeaway

The episode is lively, inquisitive, and challenging—Tim’s curiosity and humor meet Naveen’s iconoclastic, science-driven optimism. It’s a call to action: question received wisdom, personalize your approach to health, and let curiosity and service propel you toward extraordinary outcomes.

Best Quote to Sum Up the Episode:

“The questions you ask are the problems you solve... If you’re not asking the right question you’re solving the wrong problem.” — Naveen Jain [28:18]