You're Always Selling Something

"Nerds might wish that distribution could be ignored and salesmen banished to another planet. All of us want to believe that we make up our own minds and that sales don’t work on us. But it’s not true." – Peter Thiel

We’re all salespeople. Whether you like it or not, whether you admit it or not, you’re selling something every day. The only question is whether you realize it and, more importantly, how good you are at it.

Most people think that sales is someone else’s job. They believe it’s the salesperson’s responsibility to push products while they stay comfortably in the background. “I’m not in sales,” they say. “I’m just building things.” But the truth is, if you’re not selling, you’re not thriving.

Sales Is the Engine of Everything

No matter what you’re doing, if you’re not selling, you’re being sold to. And if you're in business, you cannot afford to ignore this. Peter Thiel hits the nail on the head: distribution and sales aren’t optional. You can build the best product in the world, but if no one knows about it or understands why they should care, you’re done.

Sales is not just about pushing something into someone’s hands. It’s about getting buy-in. You have to persuade, influence, and convince, whether you're pitching an idea, promoting a product, or trying to land a partnership.

It’s even bigger than business. When you’re an employee advocating for a raise, you’re selling your value. When you’re a leader trying to inspire a team, you’re selling a vision.

The same goes for networking, dating, and virtually any other aspect of life where human interaction is involved. We are always in the game of persuading, influencing, and creating buy-in.

If You Don’t See a Salesperson, You’re the Salesperson

This is where most people get tripped up. You think because you don’t have a title that says “Sales” that you’re exempt. Guess what? If you look around and don’t see a salesperson, you’re the salesperson.

Founders are notorious for falling into this trap. They focus on the product, the tech, and the development—and forget that none of it matters unless people buy in. You can’t hide behind your code, your design, or your algorithms. You can’t pretend that if you just “build it, they will come.” It doesn’t work that way.

This is why some of the most successful founders—Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Richard Branson—are also some of the best salespeople. They sold their vision long before it materialized. They didn’t wait for validation. They created it by persuading others to believe in what they were building.

Distribution Is the Difference Between Winning and Losing

It’s not enough to just build. You have to distribute. In fact, distribution is where most ideas die. Too many people believe that their work will speak for itself, but distribution—getting your product, service, or idea into the hands of others—is a skill in itself.

If you ignore sales and distribution, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Look at the graveyard of startups and failed projects. It’s not because their ideas were bad. It’s because they didn’t sell those ideas effectively, and they didn’t get the distribution right.

Thiel’s message is clear: if you want to survive, you must sell. The hard truth is that building is only half the battle. Getting people to care is the other half, and that’s where sales comes in.

What Are You Selling?

Let’s be honest. You’re always selling something. The sooner you recognize this, the better equipped you’ll be to thrive in a competitive world. Whether it’s your ideas, your company, or your own personal brand, you are constantly in the process of selling—either consciously or unconsciously.

When you walk into a meeting, when you pitch an investor, when you’re discussing your work with a colleague, you are selling. You’re selling your competence, your perspective, your creativity, your value.

The most successful people don’t shy away from this—they embrace it. They understand that selling isn’t some dirty word. It’s the fundamental engine that drives everything forward.

Stop Resisting, Start Mastering

We need to stop resisting sales. The more we resist it, the more we push away opportunity. You can be the best in the world at what you do, but if no one knows, it doesn’t matter.

So how do you start mastering sales? It’s simple: start seeing it everywhere. Start recognizing every interaction as a sales opportunity, even if it’s not labeled as such. Every email, every presentation, every conversation—these are your chances to sell your vision, your value, and your expertise.

Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. Don’t hope that if you ignore it, things will work out on their own. They won’t. The world is not built that way. You have to own it.

The most successful people are not waiting for permission. They’re out there creating demand, generating buy-in, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. They are always selling.

Embrace the Salesperson in You

Here’s the final takeaway: don’t run from the fact that you’re always selling. Lean into it. Learn to do it well. Understand that it’s a fundamental skill you need, not just for business, but for life.

Be the person who can get others to care about what you care about. Be the one who can articulate value so clearly that people line up to get involved. Whether you’re selling an idea, a product, or your own potential, make sure you’re doing it consciously.

Because if you’re not selling, you’re missing the point.