Thiel founded Pay Pal and was the first outside investor in facebook. He did a course for Stanford on start-ups and the notes have been posted online.
I'm on the third lecture so far and am finding it fun, interesting reading.
http://blakemasters.com/peter-thiels-cs183-startup
Peter Thiel lectures on creating a Start-Up
Moderator: Dux
Peter Thiel lectures on creating a Start-Up
"If we are all going to be destroyed by the atomic bomb, let it find us doing sensible and human things—working, listening to music, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep." — CS Lewis