Founder connections
- Michael OvitzRepeated reading; historical business influenceIn a 2001 original interview, Ovitz says he read the book 20 times and used it as an earlier CAA game plan. He also says it no longer fitted his work at AMG. The source does not identify a translation. The catalog uses Minford’s 2003 edition, which postdates that interview and is not claimed to be Ovitz’s copy.Source
Summary
The Art of War is a short Chinese treatise on military strategy. Its thirteen chapters examine planning, resources, the choice of an offensive, the use of force, terrain, movement and intelligence. The text asks leaders to understand the conditions around a conflict and to judge their position before they act. John Minford’s edition presents the work first as a continuous text and then with extensive commentary drawn from traditional Chinese readers. An introduction and notes place the treatise in context. Readers can study its approach to preparation and judgment while keeping its military setting distinct from the needs of a modern organization.
Why read it Our view
Read for the questions to ask before entering a costly contest: what you know, what resources you can sustain and where the other side holds an advantage. Ovitz’s later warning is useful here: a strategy that fitted one firm at one time may not fit a new business.