Frequently Asked Questions
About the Game
Q: What is ZeroOne Terminal?
ZeroOne Terminal is an educational startup simulation game where you act as a venture capitalist predicting which startups will become the next Google, Uber, or Snapchat. You start in the year 2000 with $100,000 and interview AI-powered founders inspired by real tech history. Using Peter Thiel's "Zero to One" framework—specifically his 7 investment questions—you interrogate founders about their timing, technology, monopoly potential, and distribution strategy to decide which companies to invest in. As you progress through two decades of tech history (2000-2020), you see the actual outcomes and learn to recognize the patterns that separate billion-dollar companies from failures.
Q: Who is ZeroOne Terminal for?
ZeroOne Terminal is designed for aspiring founders, CS/tech students considering starting their own company, startup employees wanting to evaluate ideas and opportunities, and anyone ambitious who wants to master tech startup patterns. It's perfect for people who want to develop the intuition to spot which ideas have Zero to One potential before investing time or money. Whether you're planning your first startup, working at an early-stage company, or studying entrepreneurship, this game helps you internalize how successful founders think and recognize patterns in what makes startups succeed or fail.
Q: What do you learn from playing ZeroOne Terminal?
Playing ZeroOne Terminal teaches you to: (1) Internalize how successful Zero to One founders think and approach problems, (2) Recognize patterns in what makes startups succeed or fail across different eras and markets, (3) Develop intuition for evaluating startup ideas including your own, (4) Master the critical questions that reveal whether an idea has breakthrough potential, (5) Understand market timing and why being too early or too late matters more than technology, (6) Identify monopoly opportunities versus crowded markets, and (7) Evaluate distribution strategies and team composition. Unlike reading case studies, you make 100+ active predictions across two decades, building pattern recognition that transfers to evaluating real opportunities.
Q: How long does it take to complete the game?
The full game spans 20 years of tech history from 2000 to 2020, with each year containing 5-10 startup opportunities. A complete playthrough takes approximately 10-15 hours, though you can play at your own pace and save progress at any point. Each year progresses through 365 days, with new startup opportunities appearing throughout the year. You'll spend 5-10 minutes interviewing each founder through AI-powered chat, asking questions about their business, then deciding whether to invest. The demo version includes the first year (2000) with 10 startups, which takes about 1-2 hours to complete.
Q: Is this based on real startup history?
Yes, ZeroOne Terminal is grounded in real tech history from 2000-2020. The startups you encounter are inspired by actual companies and historical market conditions from each era—the dot-com boom, Web 2.0 revolution, mobile explosion, and platform economy. While founder names and specific company details are fictionalized for gameplay, the business models, market dynamics, timing challenges, and ultimate success/failure patterns reflect what actually happened in tech history. You'll see startups inspired by companies like Google, Uber, Snapchat, and dozens of forgotten failures, all evaluated in the context of the real market conditions and technology limitations of their time.
Q: Do I need prior knowledge about investing to play?
No prior knowledge about investing or venture capital is required. ZeroOne Terminal teaches you the evaluation framework as you play. A Thiel-like mentor guides you through each era, explaining market conditions and helping you understand what you missed or got right. The game is designed as a learning tool—you're expected to make mistakes early and improve your intuition over time. Whether you're a complete beginner or someone familiar with startup investing, you'll develop deeper pattern recognition by making predictions and seeing real outcomes. The focus is on developing judgment about what separates winners from losers, not on financial modeling or cap tables.
Q: Can I play on mobile devices?
Yes, ZeroOne Terminal works on mobile devices through your web browser. The interface adapts to smaller screens with a tab-based navigation system that lets you switch between chatting with founders, reviewing your investment portfolio, and reading the rulebook. The game is also available as a desktop application for an immersive full-screen experience. Whether you play on desktop, tablet, or phone, your progress syncs automatically so you can continue from where you left off on any device.
Q: How much does ZeroOne Terminal cost?
ZeroOne Terminal offers a free demo that includes the first year (2000) with 10 startup opportunities. The full version with all 20 years is available for purchase on Steam. The demo gives you enough gameplay to understand Peter Thiel's framework and make your first predictions about dot-com era startups. If you want to continue through Web 2.0, mobile revolution, and platform economy eras to see the complete arc of tech history, you can upgrade to the full version at any time.
About Zero to One Framework
Q: What is Peter Thiel's Zero to One framework?
Peter Thiel's "Zero to One" framework is a philosophy for evaluating truly innovative startups. "Zero to One" means creating something entirely new that didn't exist before (like the first search engine, first smartphone, or first online marketplace), versus "One to N" which means copying something that already exists (like the 100th food delivery app or another photo-sharing social network). Thiel argues that monopolistic companies that go from "Zero to One" capture disproportionate value because they create and dominate new markets. His framework centers on 7 critical questions every startup must answer: the Engineering question (10x better technology), Timing (is now the right moment), Monopoly (can you dominate a small market), Distribution (how to reach customers), Durability (long-term defensibility), People (do you have the right team), and Secret (what unique insight do you have). ZeroOne Terminal teaches this framework by letting you apply these questions to historical startups before knowing which ones succeeded.
Q: What are the 7 questions from Zero to One?
The 7 questions from Peter Thiel's Zero to One framework are: (1) The Engineering Question: Have you achieved breakthrough technology, not just incremental improvement? You need 10x better, not 10% better. (2) The Timing Question: Is now the right time? Too early means the market isn't ready; too late means competition has won. (3) The Monopoly Question: Will you capture a large share of a small market? It's better to dominate a small niche than to be a tiny player in a huge market. (4) The Distribution Question: Do you have a clear way to reach and acquire customers? Great products don't sell themselves. (5) The Durability Question: Will your market position be defensible 10-20 years into the future? (6) The People Question: Do you have the right team and culture to execute? (7) The Secret Question: What important truth do very few people agree with you on? This is your unique insight. ZeroOne Terminal structures every founder interview around these questions.
Q: What makes a Zero to One company different from a One to N company?
Zero to One companies create entirely new categories and capture monopolistic value, while One to N companies copy existing models and compete in crowded markets. Google created the first truly useful search engine (Zero to One), while the 1000 search engines that came after were One to N. Uber created the first mainstream ridesharing platform (Zero to One), while Lyft and dozens of regional competitors were One to N. Zero to One companies identify a unique insight or "secret" about the world that others don't see, build 10x better technology or experience, dominate a small initial market before expanding, and create new value rather than redistributing existing value. One to N companies enter established markets with incremental improvements, compete on price or features, face intense competition, and typically struggle with profitability. The key difference: Zero to One companies ask "What valuable company is nobody building?" while One to N companies ask "What successful company can I copy?"
Q: How does the Engineering Question help evaluate startups?
The Engineering Question asks: "Have you achieved breakthrough technology, not just incremental improvement?" This helps you evaluate whether a startup has built something 10x better than alternatives, not just 10% better. Incremental improvements get lost in noise and easily copied by competitors. Breakthrough technology creates a moat. For example, Google's PageRank algorithm was 10x better at finding relevant search results than existing directories. Dropbox made file syncing 10x simpler than emailing files or using FTP. The question reveals whether founders have genuinely solved a hard technical problem or just added minor features. In ZeroOne Terminal, you interview founders specifically about their technology advantage: What makes your solution dramatically better? Why can't competitors easily replicate this? What technical breakthrough enables your business model? Startups with genuine 10x improvements dominate their categories; those with marginal improvements fail despite good execution.
Q: What is the Monopoly Question and why does it matter?
The Monopoly Question asks: "Will you capture a large share of a small market?" Thiel argues that monopolies capture disproportionate value and should be every startup's goal. The key insight: it's better to dominate a small niche completely than to be a tiny player in a huge market. Facebook started by dominating Harvard students before expanding to other colleges, then everyone. PayPal dominated eBay power sellers before becoming a general payment platform. The question matters because: (1) Monopolies set their own prices and don't compete on price, (2) Small dominated markets are defensible and expandable, (3) Investors understand your market position clearly, (4) Network effects and economies of scale compound in dominated markets. In ZeroOne Terminal, you evaluate whether founders have identified a specific, winnable beachhead market or are trying to boil the ocean. Startups that say "we're targeting the $500B market" usually fail; those that say "we're dominating this 10,000-person niche" often succeed and expand.
Q: How do I evaluate startup timing?
Evaluating startup timing means asking: "Is now the right time, or are you too early or too late?" Too early means the market isn't ready—customers don't understand the problem, enabling technology isn't mature, or behavior change required is too large. Too late means competitors have already won or the window has closed. Perfect timing means: (1) The problem is urgent and growing, (2) Enabling technology just matured enough, (3) Customer behavior is shifting in your direction, (4) Few competitors have executed well. In ZeroOne Terminal, you interview founders about market readiness: Why now and not five years ago? What recently changed? Why haven't others solved this yet? Historical examples: online grocery delivery failed in 2000 (too early—no smartphones, limited internet) but succeeded with Instacart in 2012. VR headsets failed in the 1990s (too early—technology wasn't good enough) and are still struggling in 2020 (still too early). Timing often matters more than technology or team.
Q: What is the Distribution Question?
The Distribution Question asks: "Do you have a clear way to reach and acquire customers?" Many startups with great products fail because they can't affordably acquire customers. Distribution isn't just marketing—it's the entire strategy for how customers discover, evaluate, and buy your product. Thiel emphasizes that great products don't sell themselves; distribution is just as important as product. In ZeroOne Terminal, you evaluate founders' answers about customer acquisition: How will you reach your first 100 customers? What's your customer acquisition cost versus lifetime value? Do you have an unfair distribution advantage (existing network, viral mechanics, partnerships)? Poor distribution strategies include "we'll go viral" (rarely works), "we'll buy Google ads" (too expensive for low-value products), or "customers will find us" (they won't). Good distribution strategies leverage asymmetric advantages: sales teams for enterprise, viral loops for consumer products, SEO for long-tail searches, or channel partnerships for embedded distribution.
Q: What does the Secret Question mean?
The Secret Question asks: "What important truth do very few people agree with you on?" This reveals the founder's unique insight about the world—the contrarian belief that turns out to be correct. Every great startup is built on a secret: something valuable that's possible to build but hasn't been discovered yet. Google's secret was that better search algorithms mattered more than portal content. Uber's secret was that people would get in strangers' cars if the experience was good enough. Airbnb's secret was that people would rent their homes to strangers for extra income. In ZeroOne Terminal, you probe founders for their secret: What do you believe that others think is crazy? Why are you right and the market is wrong? What did you discover that big companies missed? Founders without secrets are building obvious ideas in obvious markets with obvious competition. Founders with compelling secrets are seeing opportunities others can't, which creates monopoly potential. The secret is your startup's foundation.
Gameplay Mechanics
Q: How does the AI founder chat work?
The AI founder chat uses language models to simulate realistic conversations with startup founders inspired by historical companies. Each founder has a distinct personality, background, and business pitch based on their startup's actual story. You can ask questions about their technology, market timing, competition, distribution strategy, or anything else that helps you evaluate their Zero to One potential. The AI generates contextually appropriate responses based on the founder's character and historical market conditions. For efficiency, the game also suggests relevant questions tied to Peter Thiel's framework—you can click these pre-written questions or type your own. The chat reveals information gradually as you dig deeper, just like real founder interviews. You're limited to 5 questions per startup to simulate time constraints. The AI stays in character and provides realistic (sometimes evasive or overconfident) answers that mirror how real founders communicate.
Q: How do I decide which startups to invest in?
Deciding which startups to invest in requires applying Peter Thiel's 7 questions to evaluate each founder and business. After interviewing a founder through the AI chat, you should ask yourself: (1) Do they have 10x better technology or a breakthrough insight? (2) Is the timing right—not too early or too late? (3) Can they dominate a small market before expanding? (4) Do they have a realistic distribution strategy? (5) Do they have a unique "secret" or insight? (6) Is their market position defensible long-term? (7) Does the team seem capable of executing? You're allocating limited capital across multiple opportunities each year, so you must prioritize. Some startups will seem obviously strong or weak, but most will be ambiguous—just like real investing. Your goal is to develop the pattern recognition to spot Zero to One potential. The game reveals actual outcomes after you decide, teaching you which signals mattered and which were noise. You're not trying to get every decision right; you're building intuition.
Q: How is my performance measured?
Your performance in ZeroOne Terminal is measured by your net worth over time, which reflects the cumulative return on your investments. You start with $100,000 in 2000 and invest in startups year by year. When startups succeed, your investment multiplies (2x, 10x, even 100x for unicorns). When they fail, you lose your investment. Your net worth graph shows your progress compared to historical benchmarks and successful VC archetypes. But the deeper measure of performance is your evolving intuition: Are you getting better at spotting Zero to One potential? Are you learning which questions reveal breakthrough companies versus incremental ideas? The game also tracks which Peter Thiel principles you're successfully applying and which you're missing. High scores come from consistently identifying patterns—perfect timing with 10x technology in small markets with clear distribution strategies. Poor scores come from chasing hype, ignoring red flags, or being swayed by charisma over substance.
Q: Can I reset and replay years?
Currently, ZeroOne Terminal follows a linear progression where you play through years sequentially from 2000 to 2020. Once you've completed a year and seen the outcomes, you advance to the next year. The game is designed to teach through consequences—you learn more from seeing what happened after your decisions than from optimizing for perfect scores. However, you can always start a new playthrough to apply your improved intuition from the beginning. Many players find that their second playthrough, armed with pattern recognition from the first, yields dramatically better results. This mirrors real venture capital: experienced investors develop intuition from seeing many outcomes over years. The value isn't in achieving a perfect score on first try, but in building the judgment to evaluate new opportunities you haven't seen before.
Q: What happens when I make a bad investment?
When you invest in a startup that fails, you lose that investment capital and your net worth decreases. The game reveals why the startup failed through your Thiel-like mentor's feedback: maybe the timing was wrong, the market was too crowded, the technology wasn't actually 10x better, or the team couldn't execute. This feedback is crucial for learning—understanding why you were wrong teaches pattern recognition. Bad investments are expected and educational. Even the best venture capitalists get most investments wrong; success comes from the few massive wins that offset many losses. In ZeroOne Terminal, making bad investments early helps you spot red flags later. You'll learn that founder charisma doesn't predict success, that "huge market" doesn't equal good opportunity, or that great technology alone doesn't matter without distribution. Each failure sharpens your ability to separate signal from noise.
Q: What happens when I finish all years?
When you complete all 20 years (2000-2020) of ZeroOne Terminal, you'll have made 100+ investment decisions across multiple technology eras. The game shows your final portfolio performance, which startup investments succeeded, how your intuition evolved over time, and which Zero to One principles you mastered versus which you struggled with. You'll see your cumulative return compared to historical VC benchmarks and understand which investment patterns made you successful or held you back. More importantly, you'll have developed the pattern recognition to evaluate real startup opportunities—whether that's ideas you're considering founding, companies you're thinking of joining, or investments you're analyzing. The skills transfer: ability to spot timing issues, identify genuine monopoly opportunities, recognize strong distribution strategies, and separate Zero to One breakthrough thinking from One to N incremental ideas. Many players replay from the beginning with their newly developed intuition.
Learning Outcomes
Q: How does this compare to reading Zero to One book?
Reading Peter Thiel's Zero to One book teaches you the framework intellectually—you understand the concepts and principles. Playing ZeroOne Terminal teaches you the framework experientially—you develop intuition by making predictions and seeing outcomes. The book explains why monopolies matter and why timing is crucial. The game makes you evaluate 100+ real scenarios where you must judge whether a company has monopoly potential or whether the timing is right, then shows you what actually happened. This builds pattern recognition that reading alone cannot. Think of it like learning chess: reading books about strategy is valuable, but playing hundreds of games against varied opponents builds intuition that theory can't. ZeroOne Terminal complements the book by giving you a safe environment to practice Thiel's principles across two decades of tech history. You'll make mistakes, learn from outcomes, and develop the judgment to apply Zero to One thinking to opportunities you encounter in real life.
Q: What patterns should I look for in successful startups?
Successful Zero to One startups typically share these patterns: (1) Perfect timing—they solve a problem that's just becoming urgent (too early means market not ready, too late means market saturated), (2) 10x better technology or experience than alternatives, not just 10% better (genuine breakthrough, not incremental), (3) Start with a small, specific market they can dominate (monopoly) before expanding to adjacent markets, (4) Clear distribution strategy—they know exactly how to reach customers without relying solely on viral growth dreams, (5) Founding team with unique insights or "secrets" about why their approach will work when others failed, (6) Defensible advantages that prevent easy copying (network effects, economies of scale, brand, or proprietary technology), (7) Large eventual market even if starting small. Playing ZeroOne Terminal trains your intuition to spot these patterns by testing predictions against real outcomes. You'll learn to distinguish between founders pitching genuinely novel solutions versus those with incremental improvements in crowded markets. The patterns become instinctive after evaluating dozens of startups.
Q: How will this help me evaluate real startup opportunities?
ZeroOne Terminal builds the pattern recognition to evaluate real startup opportunities you'll encounter—whether that's: (1) Ideas you're considering founding yourself: You'll ask the right questions before investing years of your life. Is the timing right? Do I have a genuine 10x advantage? Can I dominate a small market first? Do I have a unique insight others are missing? (2) Companies you're considering joining: You'll evaluate whether a startup has Zero to One potential or is building in a crowded market with poor timing. Does this company have a clear path to monopoly? Is their distribution strategy realistic? (3) Investment opportunities: You'll recognize which pitches are substance versus hype. Does this founder have a secret? Is their market actually winnable? Have they answered the 7 questions convincingly? The game trains you to separate signal from noise, spot red flags like poor timing or weak distribution, and identify genuine breakthrough opportunities. These skills transfer directly to real-world startup evaluation because you've practiced making predictions across varied scenarios and learned from outcomes.
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Test your ability to predict which startups will become unicorns. Interview AI founders and apply Peter Thiel's Zero to One framework across 20 years of tech history.
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