Ask HN: Does the Art of War really translate to business?

I've read The Art of War[0] a few times now, and I'm not so sure how or if it truly translates into business terms.

What lines did you like best in a business sense and why?

Personally, my favorite line is:

"That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone dashed against an egg - this is effected by the science of weak points and strong."

[0] https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/132/pg132.html

2 comments

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thejoefloyd 11y ago ↗

Your post reminded me of this article which has a few examples of lines from Sun Tzu and how they can be applied to business. http://www.fastcompany.com/3021122/leadership-now/fighting-y...

My personal favorite is "Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where has taken no precautions." To me, a startup's major advantage over incumbents is speed - speed of product iteration and speed of decision making.

BorisMelnik 11y ago ↗

Absolutlely, replace the words:

war = initiatives / campaign

enemies = competitors

nation = company

Think about this famous quote:

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”

Translates very well into:

“All press is good press.”