the fighter pilot framework for faster decisions, boring. brutal. better.

hey there,

let’s talk about a fighter pilot’s decision-making process…
and how it can RAPIDLY grow your business.

it’s called an OODA Loop.

OODA…what?

that’s what I said the first time I heard it.
it’s something I picked up in the military.
and it’s not abstract theory.

it was born in a dogfight.
which already makes it badass.
it’s a rapid decision-making process.
I mean, it has to be if it’s going to be implemented in REAL TIME in a COCKPIT.

the history (super short version)

Colonel John Boyd was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.
after the Korean War, he started asking a simple question:

why were American pilots beating MiGs that were technically better aircraft?

on paper, the MiG should have won. but it didn’t.
the real advantage wasn’t just the machine.

it was the pilot.

American pilots were able to:

Observe what was happening.
Orient to the chaos.
Decide what to do.
Act.

then do it again.
faster than the other guy.

that speed of decision (under uncertainty) is what broke the enemy’s rhythm.
that became the OODA Loop.

it’s about processing reality faster than your competition.

seeing clearly.
interpreting accurately.
deciding decisively.
acting without hesitation.

then repeating.
that’s it.

fighter pilots figured it out first.
and when you install the process in your business…it’s a competitive advantage.

Using RAPID Data-Based Decision Making (OODA Loops)

if you missed it, OODA Stands for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act.
it is called a loop to underscore the continuous nature of decision-making in dynamic, competitive environments.

at a high level, the steps of this process are to:

Observe: Gain situational awareness via all data (known and unknown)
Orient: Contextualize what you observe based on where you’ve been and where you want to go.
Decide: The course of action and how you will measure activity and results.
Act: Immediately execute. Track results. Start the next OODA Loop.

I think this is better illustrated with an example for your business…

What everyone thinks they need… More Leads

First, OBSERVE.

[Image: OODA Observe diagram]

Second, ORIENT.

[Image: OODA Orient diagram]

Third, DECIDE.

[Image: OODA Decide diagram]

Fourth, ACT.

[Image: OODA Act diagram]

Fifth, DO IT ALL AGAIN!

if your growth has stalled, you’re making decisions too slowly.

try harder,

p.s. - OODA loops are just a small sliver of my new playbook, “Boring Ops. Bigger Life.” You can get a copy when it launches by replying PLAYBOOK to this email. If you replied PLAYBOOK to last week’s email, no need to reply again. The playbook will hit your inbox in soon!