Zero to One by Peter Thiel

Build something with no substitute, then protect the secret that makes it so.

Three takeaways for AI PMs

• Ask the monopoly question of every feature
• Start small enough to own completely
• Find the secret, then build on it: A secret is a diagnosis the market disagrees with, which is the contrarian twist on Rumelt's diagnosis.

Do this Monday

• Before the next launch review, score the feature against Thiel's four monopoly traits in a four-row table and send your lead the verdict: zero to one, or one to n.
• In your next prioritisation call, name the smallest segment you could completely own within two quarters and ask which roadmap items serve that segment alone.
• This week, write your secret in one sentence and ask three people outside the team whether they believe it; if all three agree, it is not a secret.