- $100M Book Club
- Posts
- The Art of War - Sun Tzu: 9 ancient principles to 10x your biz success
The Art of War - Sun Tzu: 9 ancient principles to 10x your biz success
While working less than ever
Vijay Peduru
April 24, 2025
Scan Time: 3-5 minutes / Read time: 7-9 minutes
Chapters in book: 13 / Chapters in here: 12
Hey rebel solopreneurs 🦸♂️🦸♀️
Are you pouring endless hours into your online business but still not achieving success?
You might burn through your savings while other creators keep winning (and nobody likes watching others succeed while you're stuck).
The art of war from Sun Tzu will help you conquer the digital battlefield, so you can win without burning yourself out.
Just like Peter Parker (Spider-Man) discovered that his greatest strength wasn't just his powers but his smart thinking,
you'll learn that winning in business isn't about who has the most resources but who uses them most wisely.
Ready to dominate your niche without working yourself to death?
Let's jump right in!
💰 Multi-millionaire entrepreneurs who love this book
Entrepreneur name | Net worth status | Source |
|---|---|---|
Evan Spiegel | Billionaire | |
Fred Wilson | Multimillionaire | |
Donald Trump | Billionaire | |
Marc Benioff | Billionaire | |
Ryan Holiday | Multimillionaire | |
Reid Hoffman | Billionaire |
🚫 Traditional methods which the author disagrees with
Following what bigger companies are doing
Rushing to create products before doing proper research
Putting in endless hours of work to overcome challenges
🍹 The book's core solution
Strategic Thinking
You'll discover exactly how to spot untapped market opportunities, pinpoint what your customers actually want, and focus your limited resources only on high-ROI activities
This leads to steady growth and money without the crazy workload that burns out most solopreneurs (who needs another job that makes them miserable, am I right?)
Sun Tzu was a military leader in ancient China around 500 BC
He started as a general trying to win battles and help his king conquer more land
Then disaster struck when he saw how traditional fighting led to massive bloodshed and destruction (talk about a lose-lose situation!)
Both sides suffered terribly, and even "victories" cost so much they hardly seemed worth it
· · ·
BREAKTHROUGH! Sun Tzu realized winning without fighting at all was the true victory
While other generals were obsessed with brute force, Sun saw that strategy and intelligence were far more powerful
He discovered that careful planning, good information, and psychological tactics could defeat much larger armies
This led to his revolutionary idea that the supreme art of war is to defeat your enemy without ever fighting them
· · ·
His first massive win came when he helped King Helu of Wu defeat the powerful state of Chu despite having fewer soldiers
Soon, he became the most sought-after military advisor in China (turning down more job offers than a top coder at a tech conference!)
He transformed from battlefield commander to history's most influential military strategist whose ideas have survived 2,500 years
· · ·
Time to explore if Natacha, a solopreneur can use these ideas to go from struggling digital product creator to thriving online business owner!
Here we gooooo!
📖 The story: Natacha's journey to online success
Meet Natacha:
Her idea: Creating fitness training programs and eating guides for busy workers who want results without spending hours in the gym
Her target audience: Health-minded professionals who want simple fitness fixes that fit into their busy days
Her money making plan: Building digital products like training programs and meal plans while using Instagram and YouTube to bring followers to her newsletter
Her dream: Building enough steady income to quit her day job and travel while helping people change their bodies (and finally escape the soul-crushing 9-5 grind)
🆘 The crisis
Natacha was posting content daily but barely growing her audience.
She was about to give up when she bumped into Sun at a juice shop near her gym.
Sun mentioned he was a successful entrepreneur who advised other business owners.
Natacha told Sun about her struggle to stand out in the crowded fitness space.
Wowza-kapowza! I think I can help you, Natacha! Sun exclaimed, striking a superhero pose.
For the first time in months, Natacha felt that flutter in her chest - maybe she wouldn't have to give up on her dream after all.
Chapter 1: 🔍 Battle Checklist: What if you're solving the wrong problem?
🔥 The challenge
Natacha explained how she was jumping straight into creating content without any real plan
Core Problem: Creating stuff nobody actually wants to buy
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Bingo-bango!, You gotta know about Battle Checklist, Natacha!, hollered Sun while rubbing his hands together excitedly
Before starting any business battle, you need to check five main things: your core values, perfect timing, market opportunities, your unique skills, and your work systems
You need to understand both yourself and your competition completely before making a single move
➡️ Write down these five areas before starting your next product
Just like in The Matrix when Neo could suddenly see the code behind everything, you'll start seeing money-making opportunities that were invisible to you before
· · ·
🏄 Example
Emily Weiss started Glossier as a simple beauty blog when she noticed nobody was making straightforward skincare products for everyday women
Instead of rushing to create products, she first spent months asking her readers exactly what they wanted and what problems they faced with existing brands
Her research revealed that most women were frustrated with complicated skincare routines and wanted simple, effective products with ingredients they could understand
This patient research approach led Glossier to launch with just four core products that generated over $100 million in revenue by solving problems other brands had ignored
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Smokes! Natacha blurted while blinking rapidly
I've been creating what I think will sell instead of researching what my audience actually needs first
I'll create a simple survey for my existing followers to understand their biggest fitness challenges before designing my next program
Core Solution: Ask your audience what they want before creating
Chapter 2: ⚡ Swift Victory: Are you wasting your most precious resource?
🔥 The challenge
Natacha thought about how gathering information from her audience was already giving her insights
She worried about her limited time and energy compared to bigger fitness brands with groups of people
Core Problem: Running out of time and energy while competitors thrive
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need to understand Swift Victory, Natacha!, boomed Sun while dropping his phone in excitement
Long campaigns drain resources, so you must achieve results quickly with little effort
Focus your limited time and money only on actions that bring fast, clear results
➡️ Cut out the 80% of tasks that give you little results
Just like in Moneyball when the Oakland A's focused only on the stats that actually won games instead of old measures, you need to find what truly moves the needle for your business
· · ·
🏄 Example
Joel Gascoigne was a solo founder with no money who wanted to create a social media scheduling tool
Instead of spending six months coding a full product, he built a two-page website in one afternoon - just a landing page explaining his idea and a sign-up button
When visitors clicked "sign up," they saw a message saying the tool was still being built, but they could join the waitlist by entering their email
This minimal approach got him 120 email subscribers within 24 hours, proving people wanted his product before he wrote a single line of code, and Buffer later grew to over $16 million in annual revenue
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Moly! exclaimed Natacha while jumping from her chair
I've been spending weeks making perfect products before knowing if anyone wants them
I'll create a simple landing page for my next program idea to test interest before spending time building the whole thing
Core Solution: Build tiny versions first to test what sells
Chapter 3: 🧠 Smart Strike: Why fighting the giants is killing your business
🔥 The challenge
Natacha was thinking about her biggest competitors with huge followings
She felt scared about trying to compete with fitness influencers who had millions of followers
Core Problem: Direct competition with much bigger established players
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need to understand Smart Strike, Natacha!, exclaimed Sun striking an imaginary superhero pose
The best win is winning without fighting - find empty spots in the market instead of fighting others head-on
Find untapped areas and problems your competitors have missed
➡️ Pick one niche your big competitors are ignoring and focus there
Just like in Jaws when they realized fighting the shark head-on was impossible and found an indirect way to beat it, you need to find creative angles to succeed against bigger competitors
· · ·
🏄 Example
When Melanie Perkins started Canva, Adobe dominated design software with their complex professional tools
Instead of trying to build a better Photoshop, she identified an entirely different audience: non-designers who found Adobe products overwhelming but still needed to create graphics
She focused specifically on making design accessible to complete beginners with simple drag-and-drop tools and pre-made templates
By avoiding direct competition and serving an ignored audience segment, Canva grew to over 60 million monthly users and reached a $40 billion valuation while Adobe barely noticed them until it was too late
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Cow! Natacha exclaimed with a thoughtful look upward
I've been trying to create general fitness content just like the major influencers instead of finding my own unique angle
I'll focus specifically on 15-minute workouts for busy professionals who travel frequently - a perfect fit for me that big brands are missing
Core Solution: Find specific problems nobody else is solving
Chapter 4: 🛡️ Unbeatable Position: The surprising secret to failure-proof products
🔥 The challenge
Natacha thought about her previous attempts at launching products
She was worried about pouring weeks of work and her last dollars into new ideas only to see them flop
Core Problem: Fear of wasting limited resources on failed launches
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Jumbo-mumbo!, You must master Unbeatable Position, Natacha!, Sun whispered dramatically with hands cupped around his mouth
First make yourself impossible to fail before trying to win big
Make ways to save your time, energy, and money while you try new ideas
➡️ Create a $27 mini-product before building your $297 course
Just like in The Martian when Mark Watney secured his basic needs before trying bigger plans, you need to make sure your solopreneur business won't fail even if your next big idea doesn't work
· · ·
🏄 Example
Nathan Barry was a freelance designer who wanted to create an email marketing platform but had a full client workload
Instead of quitting his client work to focus full-time on his risky new idea, he made a "non-negotiable" commitment to work on his product for just 2 hours every morning
This defensive approach meant he kept his income stable while slowly building ConvertKit on the side, launching with minimal features but listening carefully to user feedback
By protecting his downside and gradually building toward success, ConvertKit eventually grew to over $29 million in annual revenue while Barry avoided the financial stress that kills most solopreneur ventures
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Guacamole! Natacha blurted while slapping the table
I've been going all-in on ideas without protecting myself from the downside if they don't work out
I'll create a system where I test new concepts with paid mini-courses first before investing in full-scale products
Core Solution: Test with mini-products that won't bankrupt you if they fail
Chapter 5: 💧 Surprise Mix: Could predictability be your silent business killer?
🔥 The challenge
Natacha realized her content had become too predictable and was blending in with other fitness creators
Her audience's interest was dropping because people knew exactly what to expect from her
Core Problem: Being ignored because your content looks like everyone else's
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need to learn about Surprise Mix, Natacha!, Sun boomed with a sharp clap
Combine direct and indirect approaches to keep competitors and algorithms guessing
Being predictable makes people scroll past you, while being unpredictable makes them stop and look
➡️ Mix in one surprising content type for every four regular posts
Just like in Ocean's Eleven when they combined obvious distractions with hidden moves to accomplish their goal, you need to balance being consistent with unexpected new ideas
· · ·
🏄 Example
When Cards Against Humanity launched, they faced hundreds of established board game publishers all using predictable holiday discounts and standard marketing
Instead of following the same playbook, they deliberately did the opposite - like running a Black Friday "sale" where they actually raised their prices by $5
Another time, they asked customers to send them $5 for literally nothing in return - and still received over $71,000 because people loved their unpredictable approach
By consistently surprising their audience when other companies were boring and predictable, they've sold over 12 million games at $25 each without spending money on traditional advertising
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Bananas! Natacha exclaimed with dramatic gestures
I've been creating the same types of content over and over which is why my engagement is dropping
I'll mix short-form and long-form content and surprise my audience with unexpected formats like challenges and behind-the-scenes content
Core Solution: Surprise your audience to keep them engaged
Chapter 6: 🎯 Unpredictable Edge: The counterintuitive advantage you're ignoring
🔥 The challenge
Natacha was concerned about how to position her offerings in a marketplace full of established fitness brands
She felt her smaller size was a bad thing compared to competitors with bigger budgets
Core Problem: Feeling too small to compete with established players
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You must understand Unpredictable Edge, Natacha!, hollered Sun while jumping in his chair
Water flows to the lowest point - your efforts should flow toward market gaps
Your small size lets you change direction in days while big companies take months
➡️ Create products solving problems your top competitor ignores
Just like in David vs Goliath when David avoided Goliath's strength (size) and used his weakness (slow movement), you need to use the advantages your small size gives you
· · ·
🏄 Example
Rahul Vohra started Superhuman email app as a solo founder entering a market completely dominated by Gmail and Outlook
Instead of trying to build a better all-around email app with more features (a losing battle against Google), he identified one specific weakness: email speed
He created an email experience laser-focused on keyboard shortcuts and rapid processing, even charging $30 monthly while competitors were completely free
By targeting just one weakness in established products instead of competing across all features, Superhuman grew to a $750 million valuation despite having fewer than 50,000 users
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Mackerel! Natacha blurted with a slow nod
I've been trying to create complete fitness offerings just like the big brands instead of focusing on areas where they're weak
I'll focus specifically on form and injury prevention since most popular programs skip over these critical areas
Core Solution: Move faster than bigger competitors can
Chapter 7: 🦋 Flex Strategy: Is your stubborn persistence actually sabotage?
🔥 The challenge
Natacha noticed how quickly fitness trends were changing on social media
She worried her carefully planned content strategy might become outdated before it even gained traction
Core Problem: Trends changing before you can catch up to them
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Whizzy-fizzy!, You gotta master Flex Strategy, Natacha!, exclaimed Sun with an imaginary cape flowing behind him
No single approach works in all situations - you must adapt constantly
What made money last month might not work next month as trends shift
➡️ Set a monthly calendar reminder to check if your approach still works
Just like in Jurassic Park when Dr. Grant had to completely change his approach when his original plan fell apart, you need to stay flexible and ready to adapt to survive in changing conditions
· · ·
🏄 Example
Reed Hastings started Netflix as a DVD-by-mail rental service competing directly with Blockbuster's 9,000 physical stores
When streaming technology emerged around 2007, Netflix completely changed direction despite having a profitable DVD business with 6.3 million subscribers
This flexibility let them pivot again in 2013 when they realized relying on licensed content made them vulnerable to studios pulling their shows
By being willing to change their entire business model multiple times - from DVDs to streaming to original content - Netflix grew from a small rental company into a $200+ billion entertainment giant while Blockbuster went bankrupt
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Stars! exclaimed Natacha looking upward thoughtfully
I've been sticking to my original product ideas even when the market signals suggest they need to change
I'll build a monthly review process to track what's working and quickly adjust or abandon approaches that aren't connecting
Core Solution: Be ready to pivot when the market changes
🔥 The challenge
Natacha realized she didn't truly understand why some competitors were winning while others failed
She was making solopreneur business decisions based on guesses rather than solid information
Core Problem: Guessing what works instead of knowing for sure
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You must develop Enemy Insight, Natacha!, Sun whispered dramatically
Deep knowledge of your market and competitors is your greatest weapon
Most solopreneurs fail because they don't know what customers actually want
➡️ Spend 1 hour each week studying what's working for others
Just like in Moneyball when the Oakland A's used data to find undervalued players that other teams missed, you need to see chances others miss through better information
· · ·
🏄 Example
Michael Dubin was frustrated with the high cost of razors but had no background in consumer products or manufacturing
Instead of guessing what men wanted, he conducted extensive customer research and discovered specific pain points: razors were overpriced, buying them was inconvenient, and most features were unnecessary
Based on these insights, he created Dollar Shave Club with a simple monthly subscription for basic razors at a fraction of store prices
By studying his market deeply rather than relying on assumptions, Dollar Shave Club was acquired by Unilever for $1 billion just five years after launch, despite competing against Gillette's multi-billion dollar marketing machine
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Smokes! Natacha exclaimed with a fist pump
I've been creating content based on my guesses rather than understanding what my audience actually wants
I'll spend time each week analyzing my competitors' top-performing content and collecting audience feedback to guide my strategy
Core Solution: Let data guide decisions, not just gut feelings
🏆 The parting
Sun told Natacha this would be their last meeting, but asked her to keep him updated on her progress.
Just like Doctor Strange saw the one winning path among millions of possibilities, you've learned to see the strategic opportunities others miss, Sun said with a wink.
Remember, it's not about working harder than everyone else, it's about being smarter about where you focus your energy.
Sun gave her a superhero-style fist bump before heading out the door.
🎉 The happy ending
Six months later, Natacha's newsletter had grown from 300 to 23,000 subscribers, and her first targeted digital product had made $7,500 in its first week (not too shabby for a side hustle!)
Instead of posting random content daily with little growth, she now had a strategic system that needed half the effort but produced triple the results
She finally quit her soul-crushing corporate job and moved to a small mountain cabin where she now runs her thriving business while hiking with her rescue dog every afternoon
🧘♀️ The simple success recipe
The key lessons that transformed the solopreneur business:
Research before creating - Understanding your audience's actual needs saves countless hours building products nobody wants (goodbye, digital dust collectors!)
Avoid direct competition - Finding underserved niches lets you succeed without battling established competitors for attention
Test ideas quickly - Using minimum viable products to validate ideas before full investment protects your limited resources
Leverage your agility - Small businesses can adapt faster than larger competitors, turning size into an advantage
Gather market intelligence - Systematic research reveals opportunities invisible to those creating from intuition alone
✨ Loosely inspired by...
Natacha Océane, a fitness YouTuber who creates science-based training programs
She stands out by combining her scientific background with practical fitness advice that cuts through industry myths
Her YouTube channel has over 1.5 million subscribers and her digital fitness programs generate substantial passive income
🥂 Your turn!
That's it, my fellow rebels!
You've learned that strategic thinking beats brute force effort every time in the digital marketplace.
As Sun Tzu said, "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting," showing that finding market gaps is smarter than competing head-on.
Today, take 30 minutes to identify three underserved problems in your niche that bigger competitors are missing.
Remember, your success as a solopreneur doesn't depend on having massive resources but on applying them strategically to the right opportunities.
Just like Black Panther used superior strategy to overcome seemingly impossible odds, you too can triumph in your solopreneur business battles with the right approach!
Keep rocking 🚀 🍩
Yours 'making success painless and fun' vijay peduru 🦸♂️