Zero to One (Old Version) Book Summary - Zero to One (Old Version) Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Zero to One (Old Version) summary

Peter Thiel with Blake Masters

Notes on Startups, or How to Build The Future

4.6 (1087 ratings)
26 mins

Brief summary

Zero To One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters is a guide to building innovative businesses and achieving success through unconventional thinking.
Table of Contents

    Zero to One (Old Version)
    Summary of 10 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 10

    Stop imitating, and start thinking outside established conventions.

    Try to imagine the world in the year 2100. What can you see?

    The future you imagine is probably different from today’s world in some ways. After all, thinking about the future means thinking about some sort of progress. We’ve all internalized this idea because we share the experience that the world we lived in as children was different from today in many ways. Most importantly, there was a lot of technological progress along the way.

    So, let’s get back to the exercise. If you think about the year 2100, what comes to your mind? Maybe you imagine super-fast planes. Silent and sleek self-driving cars. Computer monitors that are so thin you can barely see them from the side. You probably imagine a future that’s full of improved versions of products and services that already exist today.

    This is known as horizontal progress. It’s based on expanding on existing ideas and innovations. Here, globalization is a common driver because it helps spread existing ideas to more people. But if you want to be truly innovative, making horizontal progress isn’t enough. You should aim for vertical progress, creating an utterly new technology or method.

    The invention of the smartphone was the result of vertical progress: we went from a world without smartphones to a world with smartphones. Distributing them to new markets in developing countries, on the other hand, was horizontal progress – companies simply expanded on what was already there.

    And this is where Thiel’s idea of “going from zero to one” comes in. Think of a coordinate system. The x-axis represents horizontal progress – improving and copying – going from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 and so on, or, in mathematical terms, going from 1 to n. The y-axis represents vertical progress – going from nothing to something, or from 0 to 1.

    Want more?
    Read or listen to the key ideas
    from 7,000+ titles

    Key ideas in Zero to One (Old Version)

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Zero to One (Old Version) about?

    Zero to One explores how companies can better predict the future and take action to ensure that their startup is a success. The author enlivens the book’s key takeaways with his own personal experiences.

    Zero to One (Old Version) Review

    Zero To One (2014) offers valuable insights into building successful businesses by thinking differently. Here's why this book is a must-read:

    • It encourages readers to challenge conventional wisdom and explore untapped market opportunities.
    • The book shares practical advice from a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist.
    • It emphasizes the importance of innovation and creativity in creating lasting value.

    Unlock the potential of your business ideas by reading Zero To One today.

    Who should read Zero to One (Old Version)?

    • Current and potential startup founders
    • Investors
    • Anyone interested in why certain startups succeed and others fail

    About the Author

    Peter Thiel is a co-founder of PayPal and one of the most prominent venture capitalists in the world. He was the first outsider to invest in Facebook, and he manages Founders Fund’s $2 billion assets.

    Categories with Zero to One (Old Version)

    Book summaries like Zero to One (Old Version)

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    30 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial

    Zero to One (Old Version) FAQs 

    What is the main message of Zero To One?

    Zero To One focuses on building innovative businesses through unconventional thinking.

    How long does it take to read Zero To One?

    The estimated reading time for Zero To One is around 3 hours. The Blinkist summary takes about 15 minutes to read.

    Is Zero To One a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Zero To One is worth reading for its valuable insights and unconventional approach to business.

    Who is the author of Zero To One?

    The authors of Zero To One are Peter Thiel and Blake Masters.

    How many chapters are in Zero To One?

    There are 14 chapters in Zero To One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters.

    1. The Challenge of the Future
    2. Party Like It's 1999
    3. All Happy Companies Are Different
    4. The Ideology of Competition
    5. Last Mover Advantage
    6. You Are Not a Lottery Ticket
    7. Follow the Money
    8. Secrets
    9. Foundations
    10. The Mechanics of Mafia
    11. If You Build It, Will They Come?
    12. Man and Machine
    13. Seeing Green
    14. The Founder's Paradox

    How many pages are in Zero To One?

    There are 224 pages in Zero To One.

    When was Zero To One published?

    Zero To One was published in 2014.

    What to read after Zero to One (Old Version)?

    If you're wondering what to read next after Zero to One (Old Version), here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
    • The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
    • Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
    • Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway
    • Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
    • ReWork by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
    • Human Compatible by Stuart Russell
    • The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
    • Good to Great by Jim Collins
    • Getting More by Stuart Diamond