# Peter Thiel Is a Kingmak... ! [ rw-book-cover] (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1608958005223247875/NmrMvm7d.jpg) URL: https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875322430685415 Author: @swaaanson on Twitter  ## AI-Generated Summary None ## Highlights > Peter Thiel is a kingmaker in the shadows > He backed Trump in 2016 and now 7 of his ex-colleagues(JD Vance, David Sacks, Elon, Vivek) are running the US government > Once you understand how Thiel spots winners before anyone else, you'll build influential networks like no other🧵 >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875322430685415)) > Peter Thiel today is at the center of all talent in Trump's cabinet. > He has quietly built a Peter Thiel Cinematic Universe. > The kind of power that could transform the US government and Silicon Valley. > But how did Peter Thiel orchestrate this? >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875338595541149)) > Thiel values substance over status. > Status and prestige are zero-sum games. > In a world where real value can be created, substance and true knowers are the people to look for. > To assess winners before anyone else, he came up with 4 questions... <video controls><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875351950229504/pl/zrZbImsPUOfXKiuw.m3u8?tag=14&v=5f9" type="application/x-mpegURL"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875351950229504/vid/avc1/480x270/2UTGxAmCA996Aaxo.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875351950229504/vid/avc1/640x360/BWvoXgpMQO2jqbm0.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875392215462221)) > 1. "Tell me something that's true that very few people agree with you on." > - It's psychologically hard to disagree with the masses. > "Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius." > - Having a sound contrarian conviction requires being well-read. >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875407906353305)) > All of the greats have bet their company on a contrarian belief: > Jobs and Gates: Computers will sit on desks, not warehouses. > Elon: Self-driving and Electric is the future. > Jensen: GPUs are the future, not CPUs. >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875424641646767)) > Peter's decision to hire David Sacks at PayPal is the perfect example of this. > Sacks walked into his interview, called their core product dumb, and walked out with a job. >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875439799890235)) > 2. How successful are you going to be? > Thiel believes that only the most successful people have a definite view of the future. > Those who have thought through their ambitions in detail are the ones who will answer the question most compellingly. <video controls><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875453079085056/pl/0KiCaGYORdWXWkKw.m3u8?tag=14&v=4fb" type="application/x-mpegURL"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875453079085056/vid/avc1/480x270/NoTQKZI7nOxv-j26.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875453079085056/vid/avc1/640x360/eERaTzGbzHWG7PxW.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875470850273333)) > 3. Would you grab a beer with them? > Many people think that working with others you don't like is a sacrifice required for doing business. > But you can choose who you work with. > Look at Berkshire Hathaway. > Warren has only partnered with people he liked, and it really worked. <video controls><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875484079124480/pl/4ni7iPXFkV8DGzZC.m3u8?tag=14&v=392" type="application/x-mpegURL"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875484079124480/vid/avc1/480x270/Lxf8pqpQ6isSwKSu.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875484079124480/vid/avc1/640x360/CvkQi7qXezM9C5fQ.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875497169530932)) > 4. Do they have Zen-like opposites? > Exceptional people are living contradictions with a combination of unusual traits. > - Stubborn and open-minded > - Idiosyncratic yet work well in teams > Thiel calls this "The Founders Paradox" and I think it's his best idea. <video controls><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875509681131520/pl/vfjRuVFt9NJGYqD_.m3u8?tag=14&v=d87" type="application/x-mpegURL"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875509681131520/vid/avc1/480x270/WqODcc_Q1UglMSiy.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875509681131520/vid/avc1/640x360/t6Bwh93qHtT5iheW.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875553335443460)) > Thiel's ability to identify exceptional people by focusing on the right things helps him build extraordinary teams. > He creates the conditions that enable them to do their life's work. > And Peter does so by using a very peculiar system: <video controls><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875566497259520/pl/rChLAFtem1aTlFS-.m3u8?tag=14&v=c2b" type="application/x-mpegURL"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875566497259520/vid/avc1/480x270/wxWen0kpgEBiJ6kt.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4"><source src="https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1883875566497259520/vid/avc1/640x360/ZArbiXpUTtFMcluJ.mp4?tag=14" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875584528548135)) > Trump applied this within his own cabinet. > He made every person responsible for doing just one thing. >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875602345939127)) > Most entrepreneurs can only aspire to be as good as Peter at recruiting and enforcing focus. > This stops them from operating at a high level of leverage. > While most founders operate at Level 2 or 3, Peter comfortably rests at 5. (maybe higher) >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875617852256429)) > If you'd like to know at which delegation level you stand in a minute, take this quiz: > https://t.co/4eUnsQ6EWp ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875630355546424)) > If you found this thread valuable: > 1. Follow me [swaaanson](https://twitter.com/swaaanson) for more threads on entrepreneurship and delegation. > 2. RT the first tweet ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875642053468376)) > Building Thumbtack to $1B+ taught me effective delegation is key to managing a 1,000+ team. > Delegation is the scaling law of entrepreneurship. > I believe this, practice this, and now building a company to empower everybody with this. > https://t.co/GoHXr4Vpga ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/swaaanson/status/1883875654011367881))