Using Design

...you can take certain fundamental lessons from military history and be the wiser for doing so.

The word "strategy" comes to us from military affairs.  Unfortunately, humans have put more effort, over more time, into thinking about war than any other subject.  Much of this knowledge has very little to tell us about strategy in non-military situations.  In particular, the primary way business firms compete is by placing their offers in front of buyers, each trying to offer a more attractive deal.

This is a process more like a dance contest than a military battle.  Businesses do not bomb one another's factories or kill one another's employees.  While business employees can quit on a moment's notice, soldiers are indentured.  Employees are not expected to stand an drive up their lives to protect the company.  And the impact of size is radically different.  Other things being equal, the larger army has the advantage whereas the winning business tends to be the one whose offerings are most preferred by customers, its size being more the consequence than the cause of its success.  Despite all these cautions, if you are careful about the level of abstraction, you can take certain fundamental lessons from military history and be the wiser for doing so.

ACTION POINT: Stay tuned for examples from military history that will enlighten you on the power of strategy.