We cannot take for granted that the future will be better, and that means we need to work to create it today. Peter Thiel More Quotes by Peter Thiel More Quotes From Peter Thiel EVERY MOMENT IN business happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. And the next Mark Zuckerberg won’t create a social network. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them. Peter Thiel zuckerberg learning business Today's 'best practices' lead to dead ends; the best paths are new and untried. Peter Thiel best-practices path today The most successful businesses have an idea for the future that's very different from the present. Peter Thiel different successful ideas The best entrepreneurs know this: every great business is built around a secret that’s hidden from the outside. A great company is a conspiracy to change the world; when you share your secret, the recipient becomes a fellow conspirator. Peter Thiel entrepreneur secret world The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself. Peter Thiel crowds zero thinking The business model piece is we're always talking about competing more effectively. If you're starting a company or career you don't want to compete. You want to create a monopoly. We want to invest in a company that has a good plan to create a monopoly. Peter Thiel investing careers talking You have as much computing power in your iPhone as was available at the time of the Apollo missions. But what is it being used for? It’s being used to throw angry birds at pigs; it’s being used to send pictures of your cat to people halfway around the world; it’s being used to check in as the virtual mayor of a virtual nowhere while you’re riding a subway from the nineteenth century. Peter Thiel iphone cat pigs The value of failure is greatly over-rated. It's a preposterous myth. Peter Thiel myth values Forget startup companies. The next frontier is startup countries. Peter Thiel next forget country University administrators are the equivalent of subprime mortgage brokers selling you a story that you should go into debt massively, that it's not a consumption decision, it's an investment decision. Actually, no, it's a bad consumption decision. Most colleges are four-year parties. Peter Thiel party college years Every business is successful exactly to the extent that it does something others cannot. Peter Thiel successful doe Whatever the career, sales ability distinguishes superstars from also-rans. Peter Thiel superstar ability careers A true bubble is when something is overvalued and intensely believed. Education may be the only thing people still believe in in the United States. To question education is really dangerous. It is the absolute taboo. It's like telling the world there's no Santa Claus. Peter Thiel learning believe people Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius. Peter Thiel brilliant genius thinking Had the people who started Facebook decided to stay at Harvard, they would not have been able to build the company, and by the time they graduated in 2006, that window probably would have come and gone. Peter Thiel able gone people Everybody has a product to sell—no matter whether you’re an employee, a founder, or an investor. It’s true even if your company consists of just you and your computer. Look around. If you don’t see any salespeople, you’re the salesperson. Peter Thiel computer matter looks I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible. Peter Thiel compatible democracy believe If you can identify a delusional popular belief, you can find what lies hidden behind it: the contrarian truth. Peter Thiel delusional belief lying First, only invest in companies that have the potential to return the value of the entire fund. Peter Thiel company return firsts If you focus on near-term growth above all else, you miss the most important question you should be asking: will this business still be around a decade from now? Peter Thiel growth focus missing
