The founder of Paypal, Peter Thiel has many lessons for entrepreneurs. We have discussed a few from his famed book ‘Zero to One’, a classic piece of the business world.

‘Selling to Non-Customers’

Most startup founders have an exaggerated sense of their companies, products, and abilities. This creates a classic illusion in their minds that customers will make a beeline to buy from them and investors will be clamoring to invest. Therefore, most neglect external outreach.

“You should never assume that people will admire your company without a public relations strategy,” Thiel wrote.

‘Everybody Sells’

Each person is selling something or other in its own way. From employee to company to government, each sells whether some products or services or ideas or ideology. The book says we all are influenced by sales.

“All of us want to believe that we make up our own minds, that sales doesn’t work on us. But, it’s not true.”

Therefore, a business can’t afford to live on the illusion that people will come and buy its services because they are so good.

“It’s true even if your company consists of just you and your computer. Look around. If you don’t see any sales people, you are the salesperson.”