The Art of War

Image by Emerging Birder via Flickr

Now understandably, this doesn’t apply to every business. But in the age of capitalism, you have to understand one single thing. There are and always will be competitors.

Yes, that’s right. You’re not the only one.

And here is where I differ from probably any business school you’ve ever attended. Somehow, I’d doubt that any business professor would recommend this book. But from my perspective, anyone that is doing any sort of strategy, both long-term and short should be reading Sun Zi’s, The Art of War.

Let’s be frank. The world of business is a cutthroat environment. And even on the playground, the kittens have claws. So what do you do to survive? You have to play out strategy just like in a war. What kind of marketing is the most efficient? When is it the time to strike? When do you retreat? Do you send your best in, or do you live it dangerously and send in the rookie?

The applications of each chapter in this book can be applied from the overall business perspective. Entrepreneurs especially can learn a lot from this book since you are technically the general and the soldier. And business strategy is what it’s all about when it comes to the most effective use of money and marketing and when to chase after the right product lines and let others get pushed back.

And I don’t care what anyone tells you. We’re all in it to be numero uno. That’s right. The truth hurts but it’s better you get it out in the open now. So if that’s the case, you have to plan your business tactics wisely. Where to strike next is just as important as when.

Trust no one, and remember that your alliances and your enemies are all temporary when it comes to business. Because in this dog-eat-dog world, the one that plans ten moves ahead is the one that will win. And those that tell you that you need a MBA to rule the world? Hey, some of the best business strategists don’t carry one and they just do fine.