"The few is one who prepares his people. The many is one who causes others to prepare themselves."
- Sun Tzu

This is a very critical line that reveals the core of Sun Tzu's battle strategy. It both summarizes his thinking and defines the terms of use. For Sun Tzu, a relative size advantage is directly related to who has control over the dynamic of the battle.

The one who forced to "prepare" (bèi) is put on the defensive. They are few, as Sun Tzu explains, because their defenses must be thinned out. The one who forces others to prepare (i.e. through deception) has the advantage because they can concentrate their forces at the enemy's weak points.

 Thus, relative size is determined not by physical size, though it is measured that way. Rather, it is determined by psychology - by a person's decision-making to allocate resources at areas where they think they need protection. 

It doesn't matter whether overall one's army is bigger than the enemy's. What matters is that one's forces are concentrated with speed at the points where the enemy has the least number of resources - i.e. where he is least prepared. This starts by keeping the enemy on the defensive at every turn.

In life, the same is true. Stop focusing on how big or impressive or well-advantaged your competition is! Don't get distracted by that. Always try to focus on where your competitors are not concentrated. What areas are they forgetting about? Which clients are they ignoring? Which markets are they really underserving? Which relationships are they not cultivating? What internal needs are they neglecting or failing to address?

Then ask: of these areas, in which can I dominate? In which can I concentrate my forces with full speed?

As a result, because your competition does not have the resources, they will be "few." And because you are concentrated and ready to dominate, you'll be "many."

"Therefore, if he prepares his front, his rear will be few. If he prepares his rear, his front will be few. Thus, if he prepares his right, his left will be few. If he prepares his left, his right will be few. And if he doesn't have a place where he is not prepared, then there will be no place that will not be few."
- Sun Tzu

Here Sun Tzu is expounding on his logic in the previous verse, where he says, "If the places where the enemy must prepare is many, then the places where we join in battle will be few."

Sun Tzu's point in this passage is not simply that in preparing on one side, one becomes weak in another side. Rather, his point is that in having a clear position while one is formless makes it so that one has clear openings to attack while the enemy has only bad options. The enemy must constantly shift his defenses since he doesn't know where his opponent is going to attack. This shifting or anxiety - from not being able to see his opponent's positioning and from not having the control over the ground - is what allows for his opponent to take advantage and attack.

This is why, for Sun Tzu, it is critical that one occupy the ground of battle first and take up a formless position. This is what allows one to take control over the dynamic of the battle, to put the enemy on the defensive, and to, thus, thin out his defenses so that one can find the vulnerable points in his defense.

In life, the same principle obviously applies. What you are after is control over the dynamic of the competition. You want to get into a position where your competition is reacting to you without any ability to predict what you'll do next. This involves being prepared, taking the initiative, putting the competition on the defensive, and advancing at an angle that is unexpected yet powerful.

This takes a lot of calculation, but this is why you must always take a concealed position and never pitch a battle on ground that is already occupied. Always strive first to find niche where you can dominate.

"The ground where we join in battle must be unknowable [to the enemy]. If unknowable, then the places where the enemy must prepare will be many. If the places where the enemy must prepare is many, then the places where we join in battle will be few."
- Sun Tzu

This passage directly relates to the previous one. It is a fuller explanation of Sun Tzu's line where he says: "And if we, by means of our many, can strike his few, then the place by which we join in battle will be reduced."

For Sun Tzu, having a relative size advantage over the enemy is a matter of deception - blocking the enemy's knowledge of where and when to fight. This is why, for Sun Tzu, one must first occupy the ground of battle, and then do battle. One should never compete for already occupied ground.

If the place of battle is unknown to the enemy, then he will thin out his defenses preparing for an attack anywhere. Seeing this, a prepared general can select the few critical points at which he can send his soldiers to strike.

The point here works in your life as well: Your competitors should never know when or how you'll make a move. And where you should move should be where they are weakest or unprepared.

"Thus, if his people appear, yet we are formless, then we will be concentrated while the enemy will be divided. We, being concentrated, serve as one, and the enemy, being divided, serves as ten. If, by means of ten units, we attack one of his - then we are many and the enemy is few. And if we, by means of our many, can strike his few, then the place by which we join in battle will be reduced."
- Sun Tzu

In this critical passage, Sun Tzu ties together the principle of deception with the factor of  physical size, which, as we discussed in Book 3, is an important element in achieving victory. For Sun Tzu, the absolute size of an army is irrelevant; however, the relative size of unit fighting another unit is very important. The goal is to outnumber the opponent at the point where he is weakest.

Achieving this, for Sun Tzu, relies on deception - on being "formless" (wu xing). Being formless, the enemy does not know where to attack us. This allows our army to act as a mysterious, yet well-coordinated unit since we do not have to worry about defending ourselves.

Being formless also serves to divide the enemy, because, not knowing where to defend, it provokes the enemy to spread out his defenses. Against a spread out defense, we can concentrate our forces to attack a single area of vulnerability - i.e. where his forces are fewest and we outnumber him. This is what Sun Tzu means when he says, "[T]he place by which we join in battle will be reduced."

In your own life, size is also a critical factor. However, what is important in achieving success is not absolute size - for example, being completely bigger than your competitor - but relative size - that is, being bigger than your competitor at critical weak points. A small tech company will not be able to compete with a company like Google on a grand scale, but neither does it have to. It simply needs to find an underserved market that a company like Google doesn't have the concentrated resources to dominate in.

Likewise, if you are competing with someone at work for a new position, it is not necessary to have all the advantages over this person - connections, education, experience, etc. What matters is that you understand critical aspects of the position where this person is weak and that you can outshine him or her in. That's what you have to focus on.

And if you've kept your intentions effectively concealed, then your competitor won't realize that you're attacking a critical point until it is too late.

"Therefore, if we want to do battle, even if the enemy has high ramparts and deep moats, he cannot but give us battle, because we attack that which he must rescue. If we do not want to do battle, even if we draw a line on the ground and defend it, the enemy cannot give us battle, because we outsmart him."
- Sun Tzu

This passage reinforces a concept that Sun Tzu promotes throughout The Art of War: that having the advantage over the enemy in battle is not physical, but psychological. It's not a matter of being bigger, stronger, or more powerful - it is a matter of controlling the enemy's perception. This requires understanding two things: what the enemy values and what will confuse him.

Threatening what the enemy values forces the enemy to be on the defensive - to "give us battle." This is achieved through intelligence. Confusing the enemy prevents the enemy from attacking us, even if our defense is not strongly guarded. This is done through showing the enemy potential harm, trouble, or doubt. (As Sun Tzu tells us: "To be able to cause the enemy not to come means causing him trouble.")

In life, you must take this concept to heart. When dealing with competitors, gaining an advantage is not a matter of resources or power. Rather, it is a matter of controlling the psychology of your competitors. What do they value? What will confuse them? How do they view you as competition?

If you find yourself having to confront a competitor - for example, in the news or in front of other people - you want to make sure to confront them with something they must respond to, something that they value (their reputation, for example).

If you find yourself having to defend against a competitor, you want to make sure to do something that confuses them, that puts them on-guard, that makes them doubt their positioning or intentions.

Don't focus simply on the physical aspects of your competition - focus on their psychology. That is what ultimately controls their responses, and gives you an opportunity to swoop in.

"One who advances yet cannot be resisted rushes to [the enemy's] weak [empty] points. One who withdraws yet cannot be pursued speeds away so he cannot be reached."
- Sun Tzu

This passage goes along with the two before it. In the first Book, we talked about the two aspects of deception: concealment and surprise. Concealment protects the army and sets it up for surprising the enemy. And surprise is what ultimately throws the enemy off-guard, setting him up for defeat.

In the previous passage, Sun Tzu talks about being formless and soundless. These qualities are essential to concealing the army's positioning. In this passage, Sun Tzu is talking about speed - rushing to the enemy's weak points and withdrawing before the enemy can even respond. Speed, then, is the critical factor for surprising the enemy.

To recap, Sun Tzu's strategy here is twofold. First, the army must set itself up, unconcealed to the enemy. It does this by taking over grounds that the enemy does not occupy or care to notice. As the army builds its positioning, it maintains its formlessness through deceptive actions - spreading misinformation, appearing smaller or less concentrated, etc.

Second, when the moment is right to attack, the army moves with incredible speed, attacking where the enemy is unguarded or weak, thereby catching the enemy off-guard. After it has completed its attack, it then withdraws before the enemy can regroup. The general repeats this strategy until the enemy essentially falls apart.

In your own life, you need the two critical factors as well: formlessness (wu xing) and speed (su). Napoleon has a famous quote: "Be slow in deliberation and quick in execution." I would modify this quote slightly: "Be slow in deliberation, formless in preparation, and quick in execution." Once you've decided a path forward and it is protected, you must move very quickly once you see an opportunity.

The important thing is that what you "strike" does not need to be huge. Perhaps it is a new client, or a new connection, or an opportunity to build a relationship. Any advantage you can get is a step in the right direction. Whatever it is, you want to secure it as quickly as possible and rinse and repeat. This is how you build strength over time. 

"Therefore, against one skilled in attack, the enemy does not know where to defend. Against one skilled in defense, the enemy does not know where to attack. Subtle, subtle! To the point of formlessness. Mysterious, mysterious! To the point of soundlessness. Therefore, he is master of the enemy's fate."
- Sun Tzu

Although Sun Tzu is being dramatic for effect, there is an interesting use of metaphor to describe his point.

Vision, for Sun Tzu, is connected to being able to observe (and thus understand) one's positioning or situation. Being formless means that the enemy cannot accurately decipher one's position or situation. Thus, the enemy cannot determine one's weaknesses and strengths.

Likewise, hearing relates to the use of spies. Being soundless, then, means that the enemy's spies cannot report anything useful back to the enemy. Thus, the enemy cannot determine what one is planning to do. 

Without his eyes, the enemy doesn't know where to attack. Without his ears, the enemy doesn't know where to defend. This leaves the enemy effectively helpless, even if his army is bigger.

In life, you want to have the same effect. People should never know what you are capable of or what you are planning. This is the principle of concealment. Not knowing what you are capable of or what you're planning, they can't prepare against you. This allows you to keep yourself protected (people can't block you) as well as in a position to surprise them.

"One who marches a thousand li and is not troubled marches where the ground has no people. One who attacks and is certain to gain attacks [the enemy] where he is not guarded. One who guards and is certain to be strong guards himself where he cannot be attacked."
- Sun Tzu

In this passage, Sun Tzu outlines three key aspects of battle: movement (marching), attack, and defense. As you can see, Sun Tzu's primary concern is always with maintaining security and protection. This is, after all, the primary objective of the general - not to seek glory or wealth, but to keep the nation secure.

 Thus, in moving, the army must travel through unoccupied grounds. In attacking, the enemy must be unguarded. In guarding, one must occupy a place that deters the enemy from attacking you . Although these objectives seem like common-sense, Sun Tzu's point is that these must be top of mind for the general.

So in war, also in life. In a competitive situation, move to where your competitors are not. Take action on low-hanging fruit and other undefended territories. Secure a position where competitors will not want to compete with you - either because the barrier to entry is too high or because you are too highly skilled at defending that position for the enemy to take the risk.

The more you go through this process (moving to uncontested territory > attacking easy, unguarded targets > securing an unassailable position), the stronger you'll become and the more likely a) your competitors will not want to compete with you, or b) you'll more easily overcome the competition.

"Go out to where he does not hurry. Hurry to places he does not expect."
- Sun Tzu

This passage relates to the two aspects of deception mentioned in Book 1: concealment and surprise. For Sun Tzu, the army must take an indirect route to establish its position. Taking the indirect route means travelling through places that the enemy is not worried about, and thus does not hurry to. This is concealment. Then the army can catch the enemy off-guard by appearing where the enemy did not expect. This is surprise.

In life, this same principle is applicable. If you are in a competitive environment, you must resist the urge to build up your position in an obvious way. If you're aiming for a particular internal position at your work, for example, don't start by declaring your intention. The people around you (potential competitors) will start building obstacles in your path.

Rather, you may want to start building relationships with people close to that position. Or you may want to volunteer for tasks that other people may not want, but that can highlight your skills and abilities related to that position. Then, when the time comes to put your hat in the ring, you'll likely be top of mind.

"To be able to cause the enemy naturally to come means enticing him. To be able to cause the enemy not to come means causing him trouble. Therefore, if the enemy is at ease, you can trouble him; if he is full, you can starve him; if he is calm, you can stir him."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, an army typically acts for one of two reasons: to gain an advantage or to avoid harm. One who is skilled at deception (remember Sun Tzu's famous line - "Warfare is the way of deception") can cause the enemy to move from his current position regardless of whether that position is strong or not. Entice the enemy with a compelling enough gain, and he will move. Show him a big enough harm, and he will avoid you.

Therefore, even if the enemy has arrived first to the battleground, the general can still move him out of his position. He can trouble him, starve him, stir him. He just needs to understand his psychology - what would compel him to seek advantage or avoid harm.

In life, this same principle is true. If you are competing for control over a situation and another party has arrived first, don't simply go on offense. Rather, try to move him or her out of this position by either enticing or deterring with some form of disadvantage.

For example, if you are competing for an internal job position, for which you know another colleague has already applied or expressed interest, your best move is not simply to show interest as well and show how you're more qualified than the other person.

Rather, you need to focus on finding a way to show that the position is not in the other person's best interest. Finding this, of course, depends on the person's psychology. Maybe it'll be long hours, or working with someone the other person hates (deterrence). Or maybe you can entice the person with a different opportunity somewhere else (enticement).

Or let's say you are competing for a potential client with someone else who has already been courting this client. Your first instinct is probably to demonstrate to the client how and why you are superior to the competition.

But for Sun Tzu, this would be the wrong move. Your first move should be to try to move the competitor away from the potential client. Perhaps this means enticing the competitor to a different client, or finding a way to demonstrate that the client would be a bigger headache than the competitor would like to deal with. Or perhaps it means clearly demonstrating to your competitor why you are a much better fit for the client than the competitor is.

In short, never start by competing for control. Always strive first to move any competition from his or her current position. As we saw in the last passage, it all starts with obtaining a strong position first - one where you are prepared, calm, at ease. Then you can start competing.