Peter Thiel’s 2014 book on startups and technology is titled Zero to One.
The book grew out of a course Thiel taught at Stanford University in 2012, with notes taken by student Blake Masters. It presents Thiel’s perspective on entrepreneurship, competition, technological progress, and building companies that create something genuinely new.
The phrase “zero to one” describes moving from nothing to a new product or category, rather than copying an existing business and making incremental improvements. Thiel contrasts this kind of innovation with what he calls going from one to n, meaning reproducing or scaling an established model.
The book is often discussed alongside The Lean Startup, but the two works make different kinds of arguments. Ries focuses on experimentation and validated learning, while Thiel emphasizes distinctive technology, long-term ambition, and markets where a company can establish a strong position.