Zero to One
Peter Thiel with Blake Masters · 2014
A contrarian take on startups arguing that real value comes from creating something new (going from zero to one) rather than copying what exists. Famously, it claims durable businesses look more like monopolies than perfect competitors.
Simulations to go with this book
- AI Startup FounderLive Thiel's thesis: found an AI-native startup, build something new to escape perfect competition, and watch why traction — not hype — sets your valuation and how much you dilute to raise.
- AI Startup Race — Compete for the MarketFeel the thesis live against real rivals: race classmates in one shared market and watch competition crush everyone's margins — exactly the fate Thiel says a startup must escape by being different, not by copying.
- Monopoly vs. Perfect CompetitionThiel's central claim, testable: compare the profits of a monopolist with a perfectly competitive firm.
- Common-Value Auction — The Winner's CursePricing under uncertainty and the winner's curse — risks a founder bidding for scarce assets must weigh.
- Double AuctionHow buyers and sellers discover a market price — the competitive world a startup tries to escape.