Zero to One

by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters · 2014

Peter Thiel and Blake Masters' startup book on monopoly, contrarian thinking, and building new technology companies.

Recommended by 2 people

Why this author is included

Peter Thiel · Founder-investor

Blake Masters · Co-author

Amazon Audible Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Who recommends it

2 people have recommended Zero to One. Each entry links to the source.

Sam AltmanCEO, OpenAI; former head, Y Combinator

A Hacker News commenter transcribed Altman's Twitter AMA answer to a question about the best books he recommends for a young startup founder and listed Zero to One.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: Hacker News / Algolia API

Evidence details

Sam Altman AMA transcript comment on recommended books for young startup founders

The title appears in the transcribed Twitter AMA answer to a question about the best books Altman recommends for a young startup founder.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

Hacker News / Algolia API · 2015-10-21 · accessed 2026-06-22

Comment · HN transcript of Twitter AMA answer

A Hacker News commenter transcribed Altman answering a Twitter AMA question about the best books he recommends for a young startup founder; Altman later confirmed the disputed Art of War in the Middle Ages title in the same thread.

Luis von AhnComputer scientist and software founder

Luis von Ahn recommends Zero to One to entrepreneurs.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: The Tim Ferriss Show

Evidence details

Luis von Ahn on Learning Languages, Building Companies, and Changing the World (#135)

Own explicit recommendation; he primarily listens to nonfiction audiobooks. Catalog summary, no excerpt copied.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

The Tim Ferriss Show · 2016-01-26 · accessed 2026-10-01

Interview · Own reading recommendation

Transcript pages15 and38: own positive response and explicit reading recommendation, not merely host selection.

About the author

What the author has done, shown separately from who recommends the book.

Peter ThielFounder-investor

PayPal and Palantir co-founder, Founders Fund investor, and author of Zero to One.

Blake MastersCo-author

Co-author with Peter Thiel of Zero to One.

Zero to One

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About the author

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