The Art of Business Wars

David Brown is the host of the award winning Business Wars and Business Wars Daily podcasts. He formerly anchored the public radio business show Marketplace, and has worked as a radio journalist for more than 30 years. He is an experienced public speaker, and a contributor to shows including NPR's Morning Edition and CNBC's Power Lunch. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and the Washington and Lee University of Law.

Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola. McDonalds vs. Burger King. Pizza Hut vs. Dominos. Starbucks vs. Dunkin' Donuts. Uber vs. Lyft. Who doesn't love a great business war? When two big brands go to battle, some great stories emerge. Business wars are battles, every bit as intense as when nation goes against nation.

What's really interesting about business wars, however, is the fact the same strategies which military leaders have used for centuries, work in business wars as well. In particular, military strategists have long studied the Chinese general Sun Tzu, who lived and waged war sometime around 500 B.C. Even though he included tips about chariot-fighting which might not be all that relevant or useful today, much of what he wrote applies to business wars.

Experience is the greatest teacher. If you want to wage and win a business war, look to the valuable strategic lessons of history's greatest military strategists. You might be fighting for market share rather than your life, but careers and livelihoods are on the line.

1. Never expect a warm welcome from other players when you start a war.

2. Being first to market is not as key as striking at the right moment.

3. It's logistics and the strength of your supply chain that wins wars, not rousing speeches or great leaders.

4. Positioning your business in the spot that matters most is very important.

5. Be nimble, and ready to change whenever and wherever the market goes: nothing is forever.

6. Look for a single, timely stroke which makes competitors irrelevant.

7. Be willing to be ruthlessly deceptive if that's what it takes to win.

8. The best marketing is to give your customers a product they believe in.

9. There is always business to be done — even in the worst of times.

Experience is the greatest teacher. Look to what has won business wars in the past and learn.

Hey, what a great book. Reading about these business wars was incredibly fun and engaging. I've always felt a little bit uneasy about using warfare metaphors for business, but this book positions them exactly right. These commercial wars might not have been life and death, but to the people who fought them, they had far reaching economic consequences. I also liked how Sun Tzu's oft quoted principles were interwoven into the stories.

My personal favorite? I loved the story of the battle to build "New York's Tallest Building" in the late 1920s / early 1930s. The designers of The Manhattan Bank Building at 40 Wall Street had redesigned their building to be two feet higher than the Chrysler Building then under construction, giving them the title. Then, on May 27, 1930, the builders opened the dome at the top of the Chrysler Building and erected a 185-foot stainless-steel spire they had hidden there. Within two hours, the Chrysler Building rose above The Manhattan Bank's building by 121 feet, making the Chrysler Building the world's tallest building. As Sun Tzu said: "Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him".

Loved it. The other business wars described in this book are equally engaging and fascinating to read about in retrospect. I highly recommend buying The Art of Business Wars. It's a great read. It reminds me business is fun, and a chance to stick it to your competitors in unexpected ways. Awesome.