Name: Mohammad Mukhtar Nusrat

Reg#: 302-1504079
Class: OD, Evening, Tuesday
Assistant Professor: Shams Ull Hayat

“Zero to One” Summary

Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

(Peter, 2014). This book gives as exclusively inspiring outlook on

building a startup and the future. Thiel is pointed a Shifter
according to the individual metric built by Ray Dalio. Thiel has,
repeatedly recognized his ability to achieve successfully when
effecting a new objective. His industrial method towards business
with lens of a data experts allows him to both professionally and
successfully perform a strategy.

I dared myself with discovering key takeaways that I should start

applying today with our key business. So I outline those in the
summary of section below.
Chapter 1: The Challenge of the Future
The summary of chapter 1 of the book started with a desired
question of Thiel’s and that is “What important truth do very few
people agree with you on?” (Peter, 2014).

The question thought-provokingly stimulates the interviewee to:

1. Reflect and articulate self-generated wisdom (knowledge +

experience), and

2. Become socially ostracized by taking a divisive stance.

Thiel’s method for this question shoots from a expression that he

used, “Brilliant thinking is rare but courage is in even shorter supply
than genius” (Peter, 2014)

This retold from Mark Twain’s quote “If you find yourself on
the side of the majority it’s time to pause and reflect.”

He lasted the chapter by frankly asking: “Why Start-ups?” His

explanation and marking out were very modest.

A start-up is the largest team of individual that

persuade of a plan to construct a different future.
This explanation was far from revolutionary but the idea was more
inspiring none-the-less. The minority group inclines to create the
largest level of movement in society.

Chapter 2: Party Like It’s 1999

This chapter started with an abstract of the economic background
of the period in question.

1. 1990 — economical migration of investments in the USA “ from

bricks to clicks”

2. 1997- Economical crash in Thailand

3. 1999- Launch of the Euro

4. 1998- 2000 — Dot.com mania

PayPal was founded with a strategy to generate a new digital cash.

The concept advanced the cash became a technique for transferring
funds via email. The idea was groundbreaking. Many wholesalers
would group toward the new product as the technology permitted
them to obtain funds more professionally in juxtaposition with their
ex-predecessors.

The business shortly after shaped recognized learned a hack for

claiming new clients by spending $10 encouragements and rapidly
increased sufficient traction to get noteworthy funding in 2000
before the dot.com bang.

Chapter 3: All Happy Companies Are Different

This chapter point out and highlights the similarities and the
difference between successful and unsuccessful business.

According to Thiel’s Idea; all successful business are different and

each one makes a monopoly by solving an exceptional problem. All
unsuccessful business are the same: they failed and have fear of
competition.

Shortly after explaining the difference between an unsuccessful

business and a successful one he asked another tough question:
“What valuable business is nobody building?” (Peter, 2014).

To Thiel, a valuable and succeeded business is the summary of

created worth in addition to worth captured.

The essential carry here for enthusiastic entrepreneurs with the

determination of altering the world with business is that we must
built and capture worth. We must not construct an undifferentiated
product to a business.
Chapter 4: The Ideology of Competition
According to Peter; in the chapter the business world to be deeply
similar to war. The similarity is further enhanced by the
metaphorical wartime linguistic.

Thiel, puzzled us with another gifted question: “Why do people

compete?”

1. Marx model: Since we are fundamentally different and own

separate objectives, and

2. Shakespeare model: All challengers are more-or-less similar

(ex: Montague vs Capulet)

Focusing on the wrong characteristics in business (like in war) lead

us to the poisonous understanding that the main problem truly lies
in the similarities. For example, Google and Microsoft were
competing with each other Apple appeared and beaten both.
Chapter 5: Last Mover Advantage*
The first mover, and the last mover; there are two time periods
important in the evolution of a developing market for building an
efficient monopoly.

Thiel hired weight on understanding the appropriate business

assessment process and how to distinguish valid assessments
compared to overstated assessments.

“The equation for the value of a business today is

the value of earnings in the future” (Peter, 2014).

Chapter 6: You Are NOT a Lottery Ticket

Thiel pointed out another question: “Can you control your
future?”

On the unusual option that you are able to truly know the contents
of the future with extraordinary correctness then you may be able
to control it. However, the reality is that the future is remarkably
random and uncertain. So don’t attempt to master it.

According to Thiel; on the unusual option that you are able to truly
know the contents of the future with extraordinary correctness then
are able to control it. In addition, the future is random and
uncertain don’t attempt to controlling it.
Chapter 7: Follow the Money
This chapter focusing on 80/20 rule is appropriate for startup
achievement as well.

The Pareto principle is manifest when perceiving the money path.

Undertaking capitalist objectives is to profit from companies in
round sequences funding. Currently companies are attain
exponential development. Most fail while few fundamentally
breakeven.

Chapter 8: Secrets
This chapter discuss about the indefinable themes of hidden secrets
that need to discover.

The author uses geography as a design to prove the lack of finding

needed, no secrets are left.

“Every great business is built around a secret that’s hidden from

the outside. Inner workings of Google’s PageRank algorithm,
Apple iPhone in 2007, etc…” (Peter, 2014).
Conclusion:

According to Thiel Peter the author of “zero to one” book; define the
lessons and methods for business to rapidly progress towards
competitive world market and build better future.

There are four lessons every business should have deep

understanding:

Lesson One: Create Monopoly

Lesson Two: Co-Founders are Important

Lesson Three: Create a Cult

Lesson Four: Piece it together

References
Peter, T. (2014). Zero to One; Note on Startups, Or How to Bulid the Future. New York: Crown Publishing
Group.