stick to the knitting

be underestimated

"All warfare is based on deception ... when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
- Sun Tzu [544 BCE - 496 BCE]

on the future

"I don't think 2 seconds ahead."
- Norm Macdonald

lateral thinking

"Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals."
- T. E. Lawrence

move!

"The true course in conducting military operations, is to make no movement until the preparations are complete."
- General George McClellan, who was ousted by Lincoln for inaction and replaced by alcoholic, last in his West Point class Ulysses S. Grant who won the Civil War

finally, a good point

"Your 90% enemy could be your 10% friend."
- Newt Gingrich

on playing it safe

"The side that stays within its fortifications is beaten."
- Napoleon

the art of war

"When you are strong, show that you are weak. When you are weak show that you are strong."
- Sun Tzu

chess axiom

"Let your opponent show you how he'd like to lose."

implosion

"Never Interfere With an Enemy While He’s in the Process of Destroying Himself."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

never make the first move

A strategy embraced by FDR and Steve Jobs.

The Art of War

"Bring down your opponent by any means. Bring him down by deception, by craft, through uncertainty, through insecurity - better to bring him down than to bring yourself down. Be mysterious rather than obvious. Pretend to be here when you are there. Be close when he thinks you're far, and far when he thinks you are close."

• Be unpredictable
• Be frightening
• Be daring

Excerpted for Sun Tzu's 5th Century BC, The Art of War

when you're in one

First rule of holes: stop digging

on strategy

"Retreat and attack in another direction."
- Ronnie Hawkins

Image source here.

"If you're winning usually it's calmer waters as opposed to losers in this space like Google who lurch from one thing to the next."
- Jeremy Stoppelman, cofounder Yelp, Inc.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."
- Mike Tyson

A: Adherence to strategy.

"Q: What failures and the successful have in common."
- Guy Kawasaki reflecting upon his Apple tenure

Chief Detail Officer

military strategist

"Never engage an enemy for too long or he will adapt to your tactics."
- Carl von Clausewitz [1780-1831]

strategic improvisors

 Joshua Green looks at the Greatful Dead's business acumen:

Much of the talk about “Internet business models” presupposes that they are blindingly new and different. But the connection between the Internet and the Dead’s business model was made 15 years ago by the band’s lyricist, John Perry Barlow, who became an Internet guru. Writing in Wired in 1994, Barlow posited that in the information economy, “the best way to raise demand for your product is to give it away.” As Barlow explained to me: “What people today are beginning to realize is what became obvious to us back then—the important correlation is the one between familiarity and value, not scarcity and value. Adam Smith taught that the scarcer you make something, the more valuable it becomes. In the physical world, that works beautifully. But we couldn’t regulate [taping at] our shows, and you can’t online. The Internet doesn’t behave that way. But here’s the thing: if I give my song away to 20 people, and they give it to 20 people, pretty soon everybody knows me, and my value as a creator is dramatically enhanced. That was the value proposition with the Dead.” The Dead thrived for decades, in good times and bad. In a recession, Barnes says, strategic improvisation is more important then ever. “If you’re going to survive this economic downturn, you better be able to turn on a dime,” he says. “The Dead were exemplars.”