Military Science
Start Here | Geopolitical Leverage
Military science is the study of warfare — strategy, tactics, logistics, intelligence, and the organizational structures that enable or disable armed forces.
You don’t have to be a soldier to benefit from understanding military science. The concepts transfer directly to business strategy, competitive dynamics, and organizational leadership.
Key domains:
Strategy — the big picture. What are your objectives? How do you allocate resources across theaters of operation? Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and Boyd are the essential thinkers here.
Tactics — the small picture. How do you win the engagement in front of you? Formations, maneuvers, combined arms coordination.
Logistics — the underrated foundation. “Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.” An army without supply lines is just an armed mob. Napoleon didn’t lose to the Russian army — he lost to the Russian winter and his own supply chain.
Intelligence — knowing what the enemy is doing, planning, and capable of. See Open-source Intelligence (OSINT). Information superiority is often more decisive than firepower.
OODA Loop — John Boyd’s framework: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. The side that cycles through this loop faster wins. This applies directly to startups, negotiations, and any competitive environment.
Concepts that transfer to business:
- Concentration of force — don’t spread thin. Focus resources where they matter most.
- Flank, don’t attack head-on — find the undefended angle. Disrupting the market is a flanking maneuver.
- Terrain matters — choose where you fight. In business, pick markets where your strengths are amplified.
- Morale wins wars — a motivated team with inferior resources beats a demoralized team with superior ones.
Related: Geopolitical Leverage, OODA, game theory, Hierarchical & Social Dynamics