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Book Chronicles: Short Summaries

Raw notes and key learnings from books I've read.

Nov 20258 min read
books
learning
notes

Book Chronicles: Short Summaries


just some notes.


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Zero to One — Peter Thiel


  • Competition is for losers. Build something unique or don't build at all.
  • Vertical progress (0→1) > horizontal progress (1→n). Most people copy what works.
  • Monopoly is the goal. Perfect competition destroys value.
  • Technology must be part of your business. If it's not, you're just doing what everyone else does.
  • The best businesses are hidden in plain sight. Ask: what do people not see?
  • Sales is underrated. Great product + no sales = failure.
  • Timing matters. Being first is less important than being right.
  • Culture eats strategy. Hire people who believe in the mission.

    • ---


    The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business — Josh Kaufman


  • Business is simple: create value, market it, deliver it, get paid.
  • Everything else is noise.
  • Understand your customer's actual problem, not what you think it is.
  • Constraints breed creativity. Unlimited resources = mediocrity.
  • Systems > heroics. Build processes that work without you.
  • Feedback loops are everything. Measure what matters.
  • Pricing is psychology. People pay for perceived value, not cost.
  • Attention is the scarcest resource. Protect yours.

    • ---


    How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie


  • People care about themselves. Make them feel important.
  • Listen more than you talk. People love being heard.
  • Remember names. It's the sweetest sound to anyone.
  • Smile. It costs nothing and changes everything.
  • Let people talk about themselves. They'll think you're brilliant.
  • Never directly criticize. Suggest improvement indirectly.
  • Admit when you're wrong. It disarms people.
  • Make people feel like ideas are theirs.

    • ---


    Million Dollar Weekend — Noah Kagan


  • Validation before building. Talk to 100 people first.
  • Speed > perfection. Launch in a weekend, iterate forever.
  • Your network is your net worth. Build relationships relentlessly.
  • Charge from day one. Free = no commitment.
  • Find your unfair advantage. What do you know that others don't?
  • Distribution is harder than product. Plan it first.
  • Constraints force creativity. Limited time = focused execution.
  • Document your journey. It becomes your marketing.

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    Book Chronicles: Short Summaries | Writing