I really enjoyed this book. I knew a little about the author, Peter Thiel- his history with PayPal, venture capital investment, support for Trump, and something to do with Hulk Hogan, but I didn’t really know what to expect.  

Based on the notes taken by then-student Black Masters, while in Thiel’s Stanford University class, “CS:183 Startup,” the author gives advice and viewpoints on starting and growing business.

He opens by talking about the need for contrarian thinking and the danger of competition in business- successful businesses should not be seeking to viciously compete, they should be seeking to innovate and use technology so they don’t have to compete in the first place. 

Thiel touches on many topics, but one very interesting chapter is dedicated to the story of the so-called “PayPal Mafia,” the name given the original group of PayPal founders. There are (many) more than a few successful companies (SpaceX, YouTube, LinkedIn) that have been founded by this group of people. More than I realized…   

The book also discusses the need for sales people & teams. He touches on this a couple of times, but one chapter specifically, and states that even having the best product does not guarantee sales success. The best companies are the ones led by people that can sell their ideas. Think Tesla / SpaceX / Elon Musk… 

I listened to the audiobook version, which is actually narrated by Blake Masters.  He has a somewhat monotone delivery, but it works and again, the book is very good. 

Your local library probably has it, but you can also get it over at Amazon: Zero to One