Rethinking the Future - Book Rec: Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Matthew Battaglia
AZ Tech Roundtable Host - 20 Yr Broadcaster + Biz Owner / Interviewing Top Leaders on Biz, Tech, Investing & More / Insights for Entrepreneurs, Bus Owners & Execs / Economic Knight + KFNX GM
Zero to One -?Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (c 2014)
by Peter Thiel
Zero To One is?an exercise in thinking — about questioning and rethinking received wisdom to create the future. And thinking about thinking is what we're all about.
The book is part philosophy, part startup advice, and lot of contrarian thinking. Whether you like Thiel or not, it is difficult to walk away from the book and not contemplate your work.?
His belief in technology as the best way to improve the future is also one of the main themes.
You can tell the book is original right from The Chapters -?
Key Concepts -?
Zero to One - 0 to 1
The idea that new innovation goes vertical or up, technological progress
If you just make a car that goes a little faster, that is horizontal progress (1 to n),
like globalization, copying existing ideas and then improve a little
Founders are Important.
It matters who runs the company, and what their vision is. Often when a Founder leaves the company or retires, it has setbacks. If you are copying great Founders, you are not learning from them. Every great moment happens once, so you need to create something new.?
领英推荐
Competition is over-rated, and you should strive to be a Monopoly.?
The ideas that competing is good, is disputed as profits are competed away. Most of these business are unhappy, because competition is so hard?and they may go out of business. The Happy business is the Monopoly who has risen above the competition, and now has an advantage.?
Innovation is based on Secrets?
This is interesting as one must believe there is more out there to learn and discover to dream and accomplish great things. If you think thee are no more secrets, then you just do nothing. The willingness to look for what is unknown, this is hard, or sometimes even impossible.?
Startups, Cults, & The PayPal Mafia
There is almost a cult-like atmosphere in successful startups. The Founder is treated like a God (think Steve Jobs), and customers are followers of a movement, fans of the product. You need employees and partners who are all on the same page with belief in the process.?
There Has been Little Progress…
There has been little tech progress in the last 40 years (outside of Silicon Valley and Software). Cars, airplanes, and farming have improved in small doses vs advancements the prior 40 or 50 years. An example given is the?1969 Moon Landing. people believed we would be living on the Moon by 2000, working only 4 days a week, or have flying cars. None of this has happened, and innovation has slowed substantially.?
I recommend the book as it provides a process for challenging your beliefs.
Thiel states there is no handbook for creating a startup or being an Entrepreneur, it is all how you think. This is a business book that can be read in a few hours. It is only 200 pages, and written very clearly. Of course you will spend hours after that still thinking about what you read.
The book is based on a Stanford Class about Startups Peter Thiel taught in 2012.
The link to the class notes (HERE) by Blake Masters, the co-author who attended the class.?
Book Summary link by XDEV 200 – HERE
Stanford talk about the Book w/ Peter Thiel - HERE
EK Link:?HERE
Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal or tax advice, or an offer to buy or sell any security.?