Peter Thiel on Work Quotes

"In a world where everything is moving so fast, the only thing that is a constant is that you have to keep learning."

"If you can identify a delusional popular belief, you can find what lies hidden behind it: the contrarian truth."

"The most important thing is to be able to think for yourself and not be swayed by the opinions of others."

"The most successful startups are the ones that are able to create a new market rather than competing in an old one."

"Sales is hidden. It is best when it is not seen as sales."

"The biggest secret in venture capital is that the best investment in a successful fund equals or outperforms the entire rest of the fund combined."

"Competition is for losers."

"If you are a definite optimist, you have a plan. You don't just wait for things to happen."

"The best entrepreneurs know this: every great business is built around a secret that's hidden from the outside."

"Every moment in business happens only once."

"The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them."

"If your goal is to never make a mistake in your life, you shouldn't over-manage it."

"A startup is the largest endeavor over which you can have definite mastery. You can have agency not just over your own life, but over a small and important part of the world."

"The most successful people are the ones who are the most focused."

"The most important thing is to be doing something that is useful to other people."

"The best way to get a job is not to have a resume."

"Recruiting is a core competency for any company. It should never be outsourced."

"Don't overrate the power of luck. Success is never just a matter of being in the right place at the right time."

"You should never start a company unless you have a very specific reason for why this company should exist."

"If you can't find a way to make your work unique, you will always be subject to the whims of the market."

"The value of a business is the sum of all the money it will make in the future."

"Indefinite optimism is not a viable way to live or run a company."

"The best companies are the ones that are able to build a culture of excellence and innovation."

"You should focus relentlessly on something you’re good at doing, but before that you must think hard about whether it will be valuable in the future."

"The key to success is to find a way to be the only one doing what you are doing."

"Working on a mission that matters is the only way to stay motivated over the long run."

"If you're at a company where you can't describe the mission in a single sentence, then the company is probably in trouble."

"A great company is a conspiracy to change the world; when you share your secret, the recipient becomes a fellow conspirator."

"Properly understood, any new and better way of doing things is technology."

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

"The best people in any field are the ones who are doing it because they have to, not because they want the status."

"The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself."

"All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition."