Ray Dalio has spent decades building Bridgewater Associates into the world's largest hedge fund, and he's got some thoughts about what actually works. The billionaire investor dropped a short post on X this week that boils down his experience into three surprisingly straightforward steps.

The Three Habits That Matter

First, surround yourself with strong, high-quality people. Second, organize your life around meaningful work and deep relationships. Third, use technology—including AI—to organize and sharpen your thinking. That last point is where things get interesting.

In a clip from his September appearance on Scott Galloway's "Prof G" podcast, Dalio explains how he systematized his own decision-making. "Every decision that I made, I always thought about what the criteria were for making that decision and I wrote them down as principles. I've written literally like thousands of principles, and then I had them put into computer code and then I tested them back to see how they would have worked in the past," he says. Now he's using AI tools and large language models to execute that "game plan."

From Philosophy to Playbook

This isn't just motivational talk. Dalio has long pushed the formula "Dreams + Reality + Determination = A Successful Life," which he laid out in his book "Principles." The approach breaks down into a five-step process: set clear goals, confront problems honestly, design solutions, and push through setbacks with relentless effort.

His track record gives the advice some weight. Dalio founded Bridgewater in 1975 and built it into a hedge fund managing more than $90 billion in assets before fully exiting ownership this year.

The Soft Skill That Trumps Everything

Beyond the three core habits, Dalio has highlighted one softer ingredient. In an August clip, he said "Love is the most important soft skill… Love is more powerful than just about anything," encouraging followers to practice empathy.

Dalio's checklist joins a crowded field of success advice from business heavyweights. Jeff Bezos uses a "regret-minimization" test for major life decisions. Warren Buffett preaches patience and long-term ownership. Naval Ravikant tells people to "productize yourself" by turning natural talents into scalable crafts. Each billionaire seems to have their own formula, but Dalio's stands out for its emphasis on systematizing thinking through technology rather than trusting gut instinct alone.