"Now, I've never built an airplane, but I could fuck up and do a better job than this"
Colonel John Boyd was one of the most controversial figures in the United States Military.
He was also one of the most brilliant strategists of all time.
Although he served in various positions across branches of the military, he saw himself first and foremost as a fighter pilot. He was a warrior. His mission throughout his entire life was to learn the truth.
Early in his career he developed Energy Maneuverability Theory (EM-Theory). Prior to EM-Theory, there was no widely accepted formula or basis for measuring the capability of an airplane. EM-Theory changed this by giving designers and manufacturers a formula that allowed them to test, based on the weight, drag, and thrust of a plane how well it would perform in aerial combat.
By using EM-Theory, Boyd was able to look at a design of a plane and know how well it would perform in the air. He developed a system for evaluating performance. When most people were looking for bigger, better, faster, Boyd was determining whether or not this plane would win in combat. While others were looking at cool little tricks and tactics, he was looking at the endgame. He asked 'what is the true purpose of a fighter plane?' To get on an enemies six and shoot him out of the sky. Nothing else. The pilot who can transition from one maneuver to another more effectively is going to land on a tarmac, not the ocean floor.
This wasn't the sexy thing to do. It's a lot more fun adding more ammo and fuel and radar and bombs to a plane. But Boyd wasn't looking for fun. He was looking for what worked; what would save men's lives. He was looking for the truth.
When Boyd encountered an obstacle, he wanted to understand it entirely, not just the surface of it. He wanted to grab it by the neck, flip it upside down, and shake the change out of it's pockets.
One of Boyd's masterpieces was a briefing titled Patterns of Conflict. In this briefing Boyd breaks down various military conflicts throughout history and shows how all of the successful generals followed similar principles (multiple thrusts, guerilla tactics, fluidity of movement, strategic fog, deception and manipulation of the enemies reality).
Boyd did not merely study a few key battles, he looked at the entire scope of human conflict. He studied Sun Tzu, Ghengis Kahn, Belisarius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Fredrick the Great, Napoleon, T.E. Lawrence, and many others. He also studied the various battles and operations such as Cannae, Leuctra, The Blitzkrieg, WWI, WWII.
He went into this study without any preconceived notions about what he was looking for or where he was going with this. He did not have a concussion already draw and was only looking to support his position like so many bad scientists do. He was after the truth.
By gaining a broad, sweeping, and detailed view of warfare he was able to understand conflict with a fingertip feel (taken from the German: Fingerspitzengefühl). He was able to sense how various pieces interact with each other and could determine how battles would play out and how the enemy would react. This is not something that you can just get, this type of intuiting can only be earned.
The achievement Boyd is most recognized for is his development of the OODA Loop. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.
This Loop has been adopted by many as the framework for not only warfare, but business, relationships, sports, and politics.
The simple idea being that whoever can progress through this loop faster in a given conflict will be the victor. First you must observe the situation, having a clear and present view of reality. Then you orient yourself to the situation using your own knowledge and experience as well as information that continues to come to you. Finally, you make a decision and act on that decision.
However, a true strategist does not only go through the OODA Loop quickly, he wanted to gain Fingerspitzengefühl (fingertip feel) so he can cycle through observing and acting without consciously having to orient and decide.
This can only come with dedicated and focused effort.
One only becomes successful in implementing the OODA Loop if they are grounded in reality. They must understand the terrain and the enemy. If you are living in some idealized future reality you are going to miss the facts as they are presented to you. Ruthless pragmatism coupled with radical reality are required for the OODA Loop to work effectively.
There are many lessons to be learned from John Boyd and his OODA Loop. Here are a few:
1) Above all else, ground yourself in reality
Most people live their lives wishing things were different, living in a pseudo-reality. They assume that everyone shares and operates under their same values and views on the world. This is a costly mistake. You must cultivate a disdain for this type of thinking and seek to be a realist in the deepest sense of the situation, your enemy, and yourself.
2) Maintain Fluidity of Movement
Have a strategy for effective execution of your plan, but ensure that it is adaptable to the changes circumstances as events unfold. Only a fool sticks to a plan rigidly and ignores the changing reality.
3) Understand Your Opponent
Boyd was a master at getting inside the minds of his enemies, be that political or military opponents. Everyone has their own goals, objectives, and interests. By determining each man's thumbscrew, you can better understand their motives and pre-empt their attacks.
4) Keep an Ace up your Sleeve
When Boyd was designing the F-16, he knew his political enemies would attack him by claiming that it didn't have enough fuel to have an effective range. Boyd ensured that the F-16 had plenty of range, but he kept this a secret. He wanted his enemies to chase this red herring while he knew all along that they were wrong. Boyd knew that by staying quiet and keeping his cards close to his vest, he would have a round ready in the chamber when his enemies came to play.
Colonel John Boyd was one of the most controversial figures in the United States Military.
He was also one of the most brilliant strategists of all time.
Although he served in various positions across branches of the military, he saw himself first and foremost as a fighter pilot. He was a warrior. His mission throughout his entire life was to learn the truth.
Early in his career he developed Energy Maneuverability Theory (EM-Theory). Prior to EM-Theory, there was no widely accepted formula or basis for measuring the capability of an airplane. EM-Theory changed this by giving designers and manufacturers a formula that allowed them to test, based on the weight, drag, and thrust of a plane how well it would perform in aerial combat.
By using EM-Theory, Boyd was able to look at a design of a plane and know how well it would perform in the air. He developed a system for evaluating performance. When most people were looking for bigger, better, faster, Boyd was determining whether or not this plane would win in combat. While others were looking at cool little tricks and tactics, he was looking at the endgame. He asked 'what is the true purpose of a fighter plane?' To get on an enemies six and shoot him out of the sky. Nothing else. The pilot who can transition from one maneuver to another more effectively is going to land on a tarmac, not the ocean floor.
This wasn't the sexy thing to do. It's a lot more fun adding more ammo and fuel and radar and bombs to a plane. But Boyd wasn't looking for fun. He was looking for what worked; what would save men's lives. He was looking for the truth.
When Boyd encountered an obstacle, he wanted to understand it entirely, not just the surface of it. He wanted to grab it by the neck, flip it upside down, and shake the change out of it's pockets.
One of Boyd's masterpieces was a briefing titled Patterns of Conflict. In this briefing Boyd breaks down various military conflicts throughout history and shows how all of the successful generals followed similar principles (multiple thrusts, guerilla tactics, fluidity of movement, strategic fog, deception and manipulation of the enemies reality).
Boyd did not merely study a few key battles, he looked at the entire scope of human conflict. He studied Sun Tzu, Ghengis Kahn, Belisarius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Fredrick the Great, Napoleon, T.E. Lawrence, and many others. He also studied the various battles and operations such as Cannae, Leuctra, The Blitzkrieg, WWI, WWII.
He went into this study without any preconceived notions about what he was looking for or where he was going with this. He did not have a concussion already draw and was only looking to support his position like so many bad scientists do. He was after the truth.
By gaining a broad, sweeping, and detailed view of warfare he was able to understand conflict with a fingertip feel (taken from the German: Fingerspitzengefühl). He was able to sense how various pieces interact with each other and could determine how battles would play out and how the enemy would react. This is not something that you can just get, this type of intuiting can only be earned.
The achievement Boyd is most recognized for is his development of the OODA Loop. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.
This Loop has been adopted by many as the framework for not only warfare, but business, relationships, sports, and politics.
The simple idea being that whoever can progress through this loop faster in a given conflict will be the victor. First you must observe the situation, having a clear and present view of reality. Then you orient yourself to the situation using your own knowledge and experience as well as information that continues to come to you. Finally, you make a decision and act on that decision.
However, a true strategist does not only go through the OODA Loop quickly, he wanted to gain Fingerspitzengefühl (fingertip feel) so he can cycle through observing and acting without consciously having to orient and decide.
This can only come with dedicated and focused effort.
One only becomes successful in implementing the OODA Loop if they are grounded in reality. They must understand the terrain and the enemy. If you are living in some idealized future reality you are going to miss the facts as they are presented to you. Ruthless pragmatism coupled with radical reality are required for the OODA Loop to work effectively.
There are many lessons to be learned from John Boyd and his OODA Loop. Here are a few:
1) Above all else, ground yourself in reality
Most people live their lives wishing things were different, living in a pseudo-reality. They assume that everyone shares and operates under their same values and views on the world. This is a costly mistake. You must cultivate a disdain for this type of thinking and seek to be a realist in the deepest sense of the situation, your enemy, and yourself.
2) Maintain Fluidity of Movement
Have a strategy for effective execution of your plan, but ensure that it is adaptable to the changes circumstances as events unfold. Only a fool sticks to a plan rigidly and ignores the changing reality.
3) Understand Your Opponent
Boyd was a master at getting inside the minds of his enemies, be that political or military opponents. Everyone has their own goals, objectives, and interests. By determining each man's thumbscrew, you can better understand their motives and pre-empt their attacks.
4) Keep an Ace up your Sleeve
When Boyd was designing the F-16, he knew his political enemies would attack him by claiming that it didn't have enough fuel to have an effective range. Boyd ensured that the F-16 had plenty of range, but he kept this a secret. He wanted his enemies to chase this red herring while he knew all along that they were wrong. Boyd knew that by staying quiet and keeping his cards close to his vest, he would have a round ready in the chamber when his enemies came to play.