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by Robin Sharma
Notes on Startups, or How to Build The Future
Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters presents insights on entrepreneurship and innovation. The book emphasizes the importance of creating something new instead of competing in an existing market. It offers a unique perspective on how to build successful startups and businesses.
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.
Zero to One (2014) offers advice to start-up founders. It shows how to establish a monopoly by creating proprietary technology, a strong brand, scalable products, and by using network effects.
Zero to One (2014) is a thought-provoking book by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters that explores the philosophy of creating and building something truly new. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:
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Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trialBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
What is the main message of Zero to One?
In Zero to One, Peter Thiel and Blake Masters emphasize the importance of creating unique and innovative ideas to build successful businesses.
How long does it take to read Zero to One?
The reading time for Zero to One varies depending on the reader's speed. However, you can read the Blinkist summary in just 15 minutes.
Is Zero to One a good book? Is it worth reading?
Zero to One is worth reading as it offers valuable insights into entrepreneurship and encourages original thinking, making it beneficial for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Who is the author of Zero to One?
Peter Thiel and Blake Masters co-authored Zero to One.