A Spy's Guide to Thinking

by John Braddock

When Boyd broke thinking into those steps, he discovered something interesting: Whichever pilot goes through the process quickest is the one who usually wins.

Whatever the context, positive-sum games require exchange. They require voluntary action. Benefits to both sides.

The best way to win a zero-sum game is to be good at positive-sum games.

Acting on Option 3 means Option 2 and Option 1 just went away. Economists call this losing the “option value.” By taking one action, you lose the value of all the other options.

The first, and most important being: Look forward and reason backwards.