Superior distribution wins
On a January 2026 Family Office Forum webinar, Richard made a short point that ties into much of his strategy. Distribution almost always wins. He credited the core idea to Peter Thiel.
Thiel's line
As Richard tells it, Thiel says that if nothing else, get superior distribution. A good product with weak reach often loses to a decent product with great reach.
Two examples
Richard pointed to Slack and Microsoft Teams. He says Teams grew straight up because of distribution. He also noted that Google's Gemini was laughed at for being behind, then caught up. Part of that, he says, is its distribution and data from YouTube and Gmail.
Choke points
Richard links distribution to strategic choke points, the assets that control access in a market. His team built an AI tool called Chokepoint Machine to help members brainstorm them.
In Richard's words
"Like, Peter Thiel says, if nothing else, get superior distribution" (Richard C. Wilson, Family Office Forum webinar, January 2026)
"Yeah, yeah, it's like, distribution almost always wins." (Family Office Forum webinar, January 2026)
How to use this
- Spend as much thought on how you reach buyers as on the product.
- List the channels in your niche you could own or lock in.
- Treat audience and data as assets.
- Partner with whoever already has the distribution you need.
Questions and answers
What does Peter Thiel say about distribution?
Richard quotes him: if nothing else, get superior distribution.
What example did Richard give?
Microsoft Teams growing faster than Slack because of distribution.
How does Gemini fit?
Richard says Gemini caught up partly thanks to Google's distribution and data.
What is a choke point?
An asset that controls access in a market. Richard's team has an AI tool to help find them.