zero to one 
by peter thiel 

Peter Thiel is one of the greatest business minds in the world. Besides authoring Zero to One, he is also the cofounder of PayPal along with several other companies. The book is primarily about how businesses can be successful. And owing to the fact that this book is written by a serial entrepreneur having cofounded multibillion dollar companies, you can bet that it is packed with real life next level wisdom taking business to the next level.

Chapter 1 and 2: The Challenge of Future and Party Like it is 1999
The first chapter begins with Thiel discussing his most favorite question:

“What important truth do very few people agree with you on?”

According to Thiel, this is an important question, which can help readers to figure out the real truth behind things as it is something that not most people agree on.

This question helps readers to reflect on the knowledge they can create for themselves and enables them to think differently and outside the box. Also, this readers to figure out what they need to build their startups on so that they can use that truth to convince a large group of people.

The second chapter talks about the economic landscape of 1999, including the economic crash that occurred in Thailand, investments migration in USA and the commencement of the dot.com mania, and talks about how one should enjoy life like it is still 1999.

Chapter 3 and 4: All Happy Companies are Different And Competition Is Noble
In chapter 3, Thiel highlights how all successful companies that are completely different can create a monopoly by catering to a different problem experienced by the different segments of the society. It also highlights how all the unsuccessful companies are same because they somehow fail to fight the competition and make a difference in the market.

In chapter 4, the author talks about the reasons why people and companies compete with one another. According to the book, companies compete when they follow the Marx Model, which states that they have dissimilar goals and ideas, or when they follow the Shakespeare model, which states that all the combatants are more or less similar. Hence, when companies set out on a war against one another, it is because of either of the two reasons.

Chapter 5 and 6: Last Mover Advantage
In chapter 5, Thiel talks about the characteristics of a company that holds a monopoly such as starting with a niche market, providing a better solution than other companies in the market, taking advantage of economies of scale and excellent branding.

It then moves on to talk about how to build a monopoly using different strategies such as choosing the right target market, expanding to adjacent markets and creating something influential then disrupting the market.

Then he goes on to talk about how nobody can control his/ her future as nobody is a lottery ticket so it is futile to work out life based on assumptions. To shape a successful future, one has to see it as something clear and definite, as this provides a basis for targeted action.

Chapter 7, 8 and 9: Follow the Money
Thiel talks about the 80/20 rule in this chapter and discusses how one should follow the money and understand how it is made to draw abundance and wealth towards their business.

Then in chapter 8, the author centers on the importance of believing in secrets all around you and looking for secrets i.e. new ways to perform better in life and in business. This includes all types of secrets including business, technological and success secrets.

It also discusses how companies fail and their success drops low when they stop looking for secrets around them using the example of Hewlett Packard and how its net worth dropped from $135 billion in 2000 to $23 billion in 2012.

In the chapter that follows, Thiel highlights three important elements related to any organization: its ownership, which comprises of its founders, investors and employees; its possession, which lies with its managers; and its control which is under its board of directors. He also highlights the need of everyone belonging to the three categories to be fully involved in the business to make it work.

Chapter 10-14: The Mechanics of Mafia, If You Build it, Will They Come? And Man and Machine
The 10th chapter highlights the importance of building a cult by your business like Apple Inc. did to become successful. In the 11th chapter, Thiel discusses how building a cult isn’t only integral to the success of a business; startups must also worry about their sales just like they do about their product.

The 12th chapter talks about using technology and human resource simultaneously in the business to make it successful.

In the 13th chapter of the book, Thiel discusses 7 questions every business must ponder on before starting off to become successful, including questions on the right time to commence a business, how to create a breakthrough with technology and what type of team to select for the business. The last chapter highlights the significance of having great founders for a business as they lead the company towards success.