A Business Book to make you smile?



Zero to One – by Peter Thiel –

“What is something you think is true but that most people disagree with?”
This is one of Peter’s questions which symbolises the level of intellect which the book both produces and demands of its readers.
The use of graphs as well as – towards the end – photographs (in a fascinating but disappointingly short write up on pop and rock stars and the music business) demonstrates to its readers an “outside the box” and quite high-brow technical summary of what makes business and its people great or otherwise and the symbiotic lines of some fabulously wealthy and established companies such as Microsoft and Apple.
Thiel has time to analyse some of the personalities behind big business and of course Howard Huges as well as Richard Branson is on his list, but he finds a few other mega-rich eccentrics to target which seems to carry a “sub plot” that means some highly established and financially successful people can lose track of what are personable and admirable customs and behaviour patterns. These themes alone could spawn a totally new book!

What is refreshing about reading Zero to One is that Triel has “walked the walk and talked the talk” before writing it. He is no stuffy academic rather a highly skilled operator with a developed intellect and a taste for the rationale of business enterprise and forecasts.

His writing flows easily and his book is a page turner with a slightly cynical no-nonsense approach to the ups and downs and forecasted performance criteria of embryonic as well as growing and established businesses.

Clearly, having read it, insight will be gained for those in the field of becoming “self made” as opposed to taking the “easy option” of working for somebody else.

News on Thiel – he’s an American venture capitalist born in 1967, an entrepreneur, hedge fund manager and social critic, who co-founded PayPal with two other businessmen. He was the first outside investor in Facebook, and is ranked #4 on the Forbes Midas list of 2014 at $2.2 billion. He lives in San Francisco.

Reviewer’s note. If I had been asked to write a business start up, with my basic knowledge of how much of a challenge this could be my main few points would have been as follows:-

a) Don’t for heaven’s sake spend all your profits on classy meals, nice cocktails, trips to parties and top theatre bookings – well not at least until you have put a downpayment on a house you can afford. Instead take your own food around with you at least some of the time and make sure eating healthy food is part of your game plan to keep yourself in tip top condition so you can feel fit to run your business effectively!
b) Do a market research plan with a clipboard to ask anyone and everyone how they would respond to a business you have conceived before you invest all your savings in it.
c) Look at your competitors and see how they are doing and what their strategies involve.
d) When taking people on board to work for you do four main things. A) Ensure you have two very reliable references. B) Treat employees well but do make sure you have given them full training and guidance in the job they are doing so they are confident and enjoy it. C) Also advise them on confidentiality issues which are protocol for your staff. Have guidelines on lunch hours etc and ensure you display the same respect or flexibility yourself.
e) Remember to get your tax return in in time!