The courage to act on what others don't believe
Richard came back to a Peter Thiel idea in two 2025 Family Office Club talks. Find something you believe is true that most people do not agree with. Then have the courage to act on it.
The idea
In a November 2025 talk, Richard put it plainly. If you always follow the herd, you end up copying the average. Thiel's point, as Richard tells it, is that the edge comes from a true belief others do not share yet.
Predicting the future
In a July 2025 talk, Richard said part of the purpose of the room was to give people courage. Courage to move ahead on plans they think could be excellent, even if others around them do not see it. He tied that to Thiel's view of what it means to predict the future.
Do not need everyone to agree
Richard paired it with a line from Dan Martell: life is more fun when you realize you do not need other people to like you. You cannot please everyone and still do something different.
In Richard's words
"Peter Thiel says, what you believe is true that most other people do not agree with and you have to have the courage to move forward on that." (Richard C. Wilson, Family Office Club talk, November 2025)
"If you're always following the herd, you'll be copying the average basically." (Family Office Club talk, November 2025)
"to move forward on plans that you think could be excellent, even if other people around you don't see it." (Family Office Club talk, July 2025)
How to use this
- Write down one thing you believe about your market that most peers would dispute.
- Test it with a small, cheap step before betting big.
- Expect pushback, and do not treat it as proof you are wrong.
- Check whether your plan is just a copy of what everyone else does.
Questions and answers
What is Peter Thiel's contrarian question?
As Richard puts it: what do you believe is true that most other people do not agree with?
Why does it matter?
Richard says following the herd means copying the average.
Does this mean ignoring all advice?
No. It means having the courage to act on a well-founded view even when others do not see it yet.
Where did Richard share this?
In Family Office Club talks in July and November 2025.