This is a classic, and I will be really surprise if someone, especially in the software world have not heard about Peter Thiel and especially this book. 

I happen to see his interviews online and then decided to buy his book. I wish I had known earlier :-) 

This book is really and inside perspective of Peter Thiel’s philosophy and strategy for making your start-up a success by looking at the lessons he learned from founding and selling PayPal, investing in Facebook and becoming a billionaire in the process. His contrarian question is really insightful. Infact, I started asking that question to candidates in PM interview which I take which is "What important truth do few people agree with you on?”. 

Here are my top learnings from this book.

1. The biggest leaps in progress are vertical, not horizontal.

2. Monopolies are good, for both business and society.

3. Competition is for losers. 

4. Ignore the common wisdom: Entrepreneurs that are successful never get there by listening to others and iterating on ideas that have already been proven. To be successful, to truly create a 1 from 0, you’ll need to think for yourself and come up with a new product or solution that people don’t already know that they need.

5. Be an optimist. 

6. Learn to sell.

7. Consistent success is normally found in people (entrepreneurs) who constantly push themselves and excel at creating  solutions or products that people do not yet know that they need.