Zero to One：Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future

PeterThielistheco-founderofPayPalandthefirstoutsideinvestorinFacebook.IntheSpringof2012，hegavealecturecourseatStanfordforsoftwareengineers，callingonthemtothinkboldlyandbroadlyabouthowtheymightusetheirskillstoshapethefuture，andimpartingthelessonshehasgleanedfromhisownexperience.Oneofthestudentsinthatclass-BlakeMasters-tooknotesandpostedthemonline.Theblogpostsbecameahugesuccess，withhundredsofthousandsofhits，andbecamethebasisforZerotoOne.Weliveinanageoftechnologicalstagnation，evenifwe'retoodistractedbyournewmobiledevicestonotice.Progresshasstalledineveryindustryexceptcomputers，andglobalizationishardlytherevolutionpeoplethinkitis.It'struethattheworldcangetmarginallyricherbybuildingnewcopiesofoldinventions，makinghorizontalprogressfrom'1ton'.Buttrueinnovatorshavenothingtocopy.Themostvaluablecompaniesofthefuturewillmakeverticalprogressfrom'0to1'，creatingentirelynewindustriesandproductsthathaveneverexistedbefore.ZerotoOneisabouthowtobuildthesecompanies.Abusinessbookthatalsoprovidesinsightintotheworldofstart-upsfromaSiliconValleyicon，Thielshowshowtopursueyourgoalsusingthemostimportant，mostdifficult，andmostunderratedskillineveryjoborindustry：thinkingforyourself.