Peter Thiel share the 11 things he looks for in a startup

What is the magic formula that has enabled Peter Thiel “crack the code” , thrive and win in the chaos that is early tech and startup investing? 

Investing in startups and early stage tech companies  is frought with failures, chaos and disappointments. 

They say that Peter Thiel is one of the most successful investors in Silicon Valley. 

Part of the paypal mafia with Elon Musk, David Segal, Roelof Botha , Reid Hoffman and Jayde Vance - his investments include Facebook (the first outside investor)  , SpaceX , Tesla , Airbnb , Palantir, Bitcoin and Ethereum . 

Which brings me to point number 1 - 

1. Your network is your networth - have people around you that you know like and trust and that have the ability to support you! 

2. Resilience - is a biggy - continuing when most people quit.

3. be super niche -  own 𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗴

Stop trying to “boil the ocean.” Instead, corner a small, hyper-specific market. Become the king of that niche, then expand your empire. You just need to be everything to the right few people 

4. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳

Build something so good that people can’t shut up about it. Great products create demand; mediocre ones need PR stunts. Finding product-market fit is always job #1.

5.𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁

A culture that’s tight-knit and laser-focused on a shared vision separates legends from has-beens. 

Build a team obsessed with your company’s mission or prepare for HR chaos (and failure).

6.𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲

If you’re copying what everyone else is doing, congrats, you’re irrelevant. Thiel’s advice: think contrarian. The next big idea won’t come from playing it safe. Learn to think for yourself and connect points others ignore. Let curiosity reign.

7.𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲

Short-term wins are cute, but they won’t build a legacy. Play the long game. Focus on moves that still make sense 10 years down the road. Instant gratification is for amateurs. It’s easier to attract top talent to big visions.

8. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 = 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿

The secret to scale is a product that gets better the more people use it. Think PayPal, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Build something that feeds off its own growth. Non-tech products can do this too with a compelling brand and obsessed customer base.

9.𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻

Massive teams sound cool until you realize they’re just expensive bureaucracy. A small, scrappy, no-BS team can pivot faster, adapt quicker, and punch above their weight class.

10. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀

Train yourself to see what others ignore and go where no one else dares. Achieve this by creating space to think, observe, and be curious.

11. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗱

The struggle is certain, but suffering is a choice. Take care of yourself, build community, and learn to laugh at challenges. Building a startup is hard, but it mustn’t be horrible. 

𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵!

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