Thread by @meetMrajgor

Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War 2,500 years ago.

Today, it sits on the desks of Jeff Bezos, Mark Cuban, and every Fortune 500 CEO.

But most people think it's just an ancient military manual.

Here are the 10 secret tactics Silicon Valley uses to destroy competition: 🧵

Why does ancient warfare matter in the digital age?

Because business IS warfare.

• Market battles instead of physical ones
• Customer acquisition instead of territory
• Competitive advantage instead of tactical superiority

The fundamentals never change.

Meet Sun Tzu:

• Chinese military strategist (544-496 BC)
• Never defeated in battle (undefeated record)
• His strategies unified China and toppled dynasties
• The Art of War: Most influential strategy book in history

For 25 centuries, winners have studied his principles.

[1/10] "Know your enemy and know yourself."

Amazon didn't just sell books online... they mapped every weakness in traditional retail:

• Slow delivery
• Limited selection
• High overhead costs

Then they systematically attacked each weakness.

[2/10] "Rapidity is the essence of war."

Netflix didn't kill Blockbuster with better technology.

They killed them with speed.

When streaming became possible, Netflix moved instantly while Blockbuster hesitated.

In business, speed creates unbeatable competitive advantage.

[3/10] "All warfare is based on deception."

Steve Jobs was a master of strategic misdirection:

2007: "Who wants a stylus? You have to get them, put them away... yuck."
2015: Apple Pencil launches to huge success.

He publicly dismissed markets before Apple revolutionized them.

[4/10] "The supreme excellence is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

Google didn't beat Yahoo in a head-to-head search war.

They redefined what search meant entirely.

Yahoo organized websites. Google organized all human knowledge.

[5/10] "Control the Terrain"

Sun Tzu obsessed over controlling high ground and choosing battlefields.

Amazon built the infrastructure that every other business needs to operate online.

Now their competitors pay Amazon to compete against Amazon. That's controlling the terrain.

[6/10] "Avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak."

Tesla didn't attack Ford's truck dominance.

They struck where car companies were complacent: luxury electric sedans.

By the time traditional automakers responded, Tesla owned the premium electric market.

[7/10] "Every battle is won before it is fought."

McDonald's doesn't hire the world's best cooks.

They built systems so effective that average people deliver consistent results worldwide.

The preparation (systems) determines the outcome, not individual talent.

[8/10] "Wait for your enemy to not wait."

Facebook watched MySpace burn resources trying to be everything to everyone.

Then Facebook struck with laser focus: Connecting college students.

Sometimes the best strategy is waiting for your enemy to defeat themselves.

[9/10] "Be like water... shape your course according to the ground."

Apple pivoted from computers to phones to streaming services.

Amazon went from books to everything to cloud computing.

Rigid strategies break. Flexible ones dominate.

[10/10] "Look to the effect of combined energy, not individuals."

• Uber doesn't employ millions of drivers.
• Airbnb doesn't own millions of properties.
• YouTube doesn't create billions of videos.

They built platforms that multiply individual efforts into collective power.

[11/10] BONUS:

(This quote is my favorite👇)

Sun Tzu's ultimate insight:

"The greatest victory is that which requires no battle."

Amazon's greatest victory isn't beating competitors... it's making competition irrelevant by becoming essential infrastructure.

Why This Still Works?

Sun Tzu's principles endure because human psychology hasn't evolved in 2,500 years.

We still:

• Make emotional decisions under pressure
• Seek the path of least resistance
• Fear uncertainty and change

Ancient strategies work on ancient brains.

The Art of War teaches us that the best generals avoid war entirely.

The best business leaders eliminate competition rather than compete.

Another great book I suggest reading is:

"The 33 Strategies of War" by Robert Greene.

Are you a founder who wants to drive 1M+ views and qualified eyes to your offer in the next 30 days?

Without you having to write, post, or even log in?

DM me or book a call below. (Serious founders only)
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A bit about me:

I dropped out of college last year to turn stories into education for 1 billion people.

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