The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the last mover advantage? Why do you want to be a last mover, and how can being one help you succeed? The last mover advantage is when a company is the last to introduce a new product or service and benefits from existing recent innovations in technology. The last movie advantage is that you become the one who makes the last and most spectacular innovation. And in Zero to One, that’s what you want.
What are market disruptors? Do you want to be a market disruptor, or is there a better way to form your business? In order to be a market disruptor, you need to be able to visualize an old industry from a new angle, and produce a product that changes the game. Recent technologies have been defined by market disruptors. But is that what you want to be? Peter Thiel explains why you don’t.
What is the power law, and what does it mean for your startup? The power law is a concept that describes how small changes can have disproportionate results. One example of the power law at work is compounding interest. Power law can also explain why some companies succeed and others don’t. Power law can tell you a lot about whether or not your startup will be successful. You can use power law to increase your business understanding and launch your startup to success.
What is a monopoly? Can a monopoly help a business succeed, and why should you consider becoming one? When you consider the question, “What is a monopoly?”, you probably think of famous monopoly breakups. But in Zero to One, Peter Thiel argues that monopolies are helpful, since they allow a company to innovate. He makes a case for why we should rethink the questions, “What is a monopoly? And can they be positive for consumers?”
What is the state of technology and the future? What does it have to do with your startup? Technology and the future go hand in hand. There are several views of technology and the future, and you can take any approach as you plan your startup launch.
Why is tesla successful? One of the most groundbreaking companies in the world, you know that Tesla works. But why? When you ask, “Why is Tesla successful?”, there are several factors to consider. Tesla is a major company, and understanding the answer to the question, “Why is Tesla successful?” means thinking about the market, the Tesla product, and its business model.
Are you looking to learn the secrets of some of the world’s most successful CEOs? A big part of their success is their commitment to business acquisition strategy. A great CEO should have a smart business acquisition strategy, since acquisitions are vital for company growth. You can read about business acquisition strategy and the ideas of top CEOs below, including business tycoon Warren Buffett.
Investors have been following in the footsteps of business giant Warren Buffett for decades. But what makes Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway history has been marked by constant success and growth. But what makes this happen? Berkshire Hathaway is one of the most successful companies of the modern age, and Buffett is a top investor, adviser, and business leader. Find out Berkshire Hathaway’s history, how it became the company you know today, and how Buffett continues to pursue company growth and excellence.
Why We Falsely Link Effects to Causes When two things happen together, it’s tempting to believe that one caused the other. For example, in the previous chapter, we saw that the economy improved while crime rates dropped. This seems like a satisfying explanation, until the data show the economy couldn’t have had a large effect. In reality, many correlated phenomena are correlated purely by chance. This gives rise to the well-known saying, “correlation does not imply causation.” (Shortform note: this underlies a lot of popular superstitions, like people who wear their “lucky hats” to baseball games because they think it
The Myth of the “Crack Millionaires” Let’s set the stage. The 1980’s were marked by a tide of rising crime in The United States. A great deal of the violence in the inner cities was driven by crack-cocaine. According to one study, crack accounted for a shocking 25 percent of homicides in New York City in 1988. It was in this context that the conventional wisdom of “crack millionaires” was born. The myth was largely propagated by police officers, criminologists, and others in the law enforcement community. They argued that dealers were making money hand-over-fist and living extravagant, luxurious lifestyles.