Peter Thiel is an entrepreneur who helped co-found Paypal, Palantir Technologies, and one of the world’s largest venture capital firms, Founders Fund. His strong sense-of-self, along with his sharp mind allowed him to become the billionaire he is today. After spending some time hearing him voice his opinions, here is what stuck with me:
Don’t Follow the Crowd
For many of us, we find it easier to go in the same direction as the people around us, rather than take our own pathway. Peter Thiel once said,
“don’t always go through the tiny little door that everyone’s trying to rush through, maybe go around the corner through the vast gate that no one’s taking".
Thiel often vocalizes his opinion on trends, saying they are overrated, further breeding a world full of insanity. He continues to explain that by copying someone, you’re not learning. While I do believe this to be true, I think there’s more to it. Obviously it’s great to have role models, people you look up to and maybe even aspire to be. However, it’s not the best idea to look at someone, or something, and live your life with the intention of being their “copy and paste”. This small distinction can often be overlooked when people associate a role model in a negative light.
A few years ago, seven to be exact, Thiel released Zero to One, a book that outlines uniqueness from sameness. With leading innovations coming from the minds of people, Thiel explains the importance of building with the intention to disrupt, rather than to blend in.
Have a Plan
In this book, along with many interviews, he shares that “a bad plan is better than no plan”. I found this opinion to be very interesting. Some may find it easier to have no roadmap, rather than one that’s filled with barriers. In reality, it’s best to have a direction, that being in your life, your desired career, or any other category that would benefit from having an ounce of structure. Without a sense of direction, you’re unable to filter between what’s important, and what doesn’t bring value to your life. That being said, to have a bad plan that outlines some sort of pathway you hope to take, is better than not having one at all.
Competition is for Losers
It’s true that when you compete alongside someone, you’re able to perform better. The constant thought of having to out shine the person next to you increases your awareness and your will to do better. However, the extent to which you compete can be detrimental to your life. Thiel iterates that when you compete, you often lose sight of the bigger picture: what’s important to and what’s truly valuable. By competing, you narrow your focus.
While speaking on this point, Thiel brings up the fact that in our modern day society, we often view “losers” as the people who aren’t good enough, or unable, to compete. Matter-of-factly, these views may be just that, societal views that are based on assumption, rather than truth.
Overall, I think Thiel has some pretty cool views on the world, and the hopefulness of what it someday will be. In many cases, his ideologies are biased towards himself, his life experiences, and his stature. But even so, they can be adjusted to fit the lives of many.
Key Takeaways
- Be a leader of your own pathway, not a follower of someone else’s
- Have some sort direction for where you want to go
- Don’t let competition narrow your focus
