Peter Thiel

Below I offer some thoughts on lessons I learned from reading a book that Peter Thiel authored. When I read books, I get an opportunity to spend time thinking, contemplating. In that way, authors become my mentors, even if I don’t meet them. I learned this lesson while I served my sentence, and it stays with me today.

Why I Chose to Read Zero to One

My wife Carole and I had to drive from our residence in Orange County to visit a rental property we wanted to sell in the San Francisco Bay area. Rather than let the hours pass idly, we used the time to learn. I downloaded Zero to One by Peter Thiel on Audible. Since getting out of prison, I rarely read books any more, because I’m always busy. For me, it’s easier to learn by listening to books that interest me while I’m doing something else, like driving, exercising, or just walking.

Peter Thiel is a well-known entrepreneur and investor, having co-founded PayPal and Palantir and being one of the earliest investors in Facebook. His ability to spot and cultivate innovative ideas intrigued me. He’s a very smart guy, who graduated from Stanford Law School–a place that helped me a great deal. I had a close mentor, Joan Petersilia, who frequently invited me to speak at Stanford Law School when I got out of prison.

I wanted to learn directly from his insights about what makes a business go from nothing (zero) to something unique (one). As someone who values strategic decision-making, I believed that I could learn a lot from Thiel’s perspective. His insights would help me not only improve my business, but also make better decisions through life.

What I Learned from reading Zero to One

Zero to One shares Thiel’s philosophy on creating something new rather than merely competing in existing markets. Thiel emphasizes monopoly as the goal of entrepreneurship—companies should strive to be so innovative that they dominate their niche rather than fight over incremental improvements.

Key Lessons from the Book

  1. Vertical Progress vs. Horizontal Progress
    • Horizontal progress is globalization—taking something that already exists and scaling it to grow into a larger number.
    • Vertical progress is innovation—creating something entirely new, something that didn’t exist before (0 to 1).
    • Great businesses focus on vertical progress by solving unique problems in ways no one else has.
  2. Monopoly is the Key to Long-Term Success
    • Conventional wisdom suggests monopolies are bad, but Thiel argues that truly successful businesses create monopolies through innovation.
    • Google, for example, dominates search because it created something radically better than existing solutions.
    • Competing in saturated markets often leads to mediocrity, while differentiation leads to dominance.
  3. The Power of Secrets
    • Thiel believes that great businesses are built by discovering and acting on secrets—ideas that most people don’t see.
    • He encourages entrepreneurs to ask: What valuable company is nobody building?
    • The best opportunities lie where others aren’t looking.
  4. The Role of Technology and Future Thinking
    • True innovation doesn’t just optimize what already exists but creates entirely new paradigms.
    • Founders must think about where the world is heading and build toward that future.
  5. The Importance of a Strong Founder’s Vision
    • Many of the greatest companies were built by visionary founders who pursued their ideas with conviction.
    • Facebook, SpaceX, and Tesla thrived because of founders like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, who had strong, unconventional visions.
    • Thiel encourages entrepreneurs to develop unique perspectives rather than follow trends.
  6. Contrarian Thinking Leads to Breakthroughs
    • The best opportunities come from going against the grain.
    • He asks, “What important truth do very few people agree with you on?”
    • Those who challenge conventional wisdom often create the most valuable innovations.
  7. Invest in People, Not Just Ideas
    • Thiel has invested in transformative companies, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and SpaceX, because he recognizes that great businesses are built by exceptional people.
    • He looks for founders with unique insights and relentless determination.

How I Will Use Lessons from Zero to One

Listening to Zero to One reinforced the importance of making intentional decisions. Just as Thiel looks for secrets and invests in long-term value, I strive to make decisions that create lasting impact—whether in my personal life, business ventures, or work helping people in prison prepare for success.

This book reaffirmed my belief in thinking differently and playing the long game. It also reinforced the importance of creating unique value rather than competing in crowded markets. These principles align with how I approach my own work: building strategies that help others become successful by focusing on what makes them truly different.

In his book, he prompted me to think about an important truth that few people agree with me on. That’s easy. I believe we should transform our prison system. Instead of measuring justice through the turning of calendar pages, we should make changes that incentivize excellence. We should encourage people to work toward earning freedom. Other people want to focus on punishment, and not the result we truly want, which is a more prosperous society where every individual abides by the social contract and works to reach a higher potential.

‍