Rec Room: “Certain to Win”

October 6, 2023

Every couple weeks we share a brief summary of a book that has shaped our thinking. Enjoy.

The Book

“Certain to Win: The Strategy of John Boyd Applied to Business”.

Author

Chet Richards is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and consultant who was for many years a close associate of the late US Air Force Col. John Boyd, the originator of the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act)

Subject

At its heart, Boyd’s strategy is an explanation of how agility can overcome raw power in military conflict. “Certain to Win” shows how Boyd’s ideas apply to business.

Purpose of the book

“Certain to Win” shows organizations how they can use tempo to offset a competitor’s size, technology, position, and even planning.

In particular, winners are able to make things happen that their opponents may anticipate, but not when their opponents might expect.

Mismatches in time – such as when things don’t appear to be happening in a continuous and predictable manner – can be disorienting. And under stress, disoriented people become demoralized, frustrated, and panicked.

Structure

Chapter 1: Introduction to Boyd’s ideas.
Chapters 2-4: Boyd’s general concepts for using time in any form of competition, plus specific ideas for employing those ideas in business.
Chapter 5: Description of the organizational climate in which fast decision cycles can flourish.
Chapter 6: Cheng and chi maneuvers. Cheng maneuvers are those that the competitor can comprehend or measure. Chi maneuvers are unorthodox, unanticipated, irregular, surprising.
Chapter 7: Putting the ideas into practice.