The Art of War
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Strategy
The Art of War
Sun Tzu
The best win is the one where the fight never happens.
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Lessons learned
01
Win before the battle.
Most outcomes are decided by preparation and positioning, not by what happens in the room. Discovery before the pitch, scouting before the match.
02
Know yourself and know the other side.
Half the losses I've taken came from not understanding who I was actually up against. The other half came from not knowing my own limits.
03
Avoid strength, hit weakness.
I don't compete where the other guy is strongest. I find the opening they're not defending and go there.
04
Speed matters more than perfection.
A good move now beats a perfect move too late. Long campaigns drain everyone, so finish fast.
05
Appear where you're not expected.
Surprise is a resource. In sales that means showing up with something the buyer hasn't been asked before.
Who should read it
Anyone in a competitive job. It's short, it's old, and every page still maps onto something I deal with this week.
