What can the Japanese game of Go teach an entrepreneur?

At first glance, the Japanese game of Go has simple rules. Two players play with black and white stones on a special board. To win, you need to capture more board space than your opponent. However, Go is considered to be one of the most complex intellectual games with thousands of solutions for any situation.
This game already has more than 50 million fans around the world. It develops strategic thinking and helps to find profitable business moves. It should be noted that many of the country's largest businessmen are members of the Japanese Go Association.

Yasuyuki Miura, Chief Marketing Officer of Japan Airlines and Chief Executive Officer of Nikko Hotels, said:

"Japanese business thinking and strategy are not based on 'chess time' but rather on 'go time' - a long-term approach to market division. I believe that for a businessman, Go is the best game for strategic thinking. "

Each game of Go can be a lesson in strategy applicable to real business. In this game, the board becomes the market and territory, and the stones are the resources of the entrepreneur. How to develop your business and calculate your resources, plan short- and long-term prospects, what methods to use, how to respond flexibly to changes in the market - all these skills will help you develop Go.

Lesson 1. First, strengthen, then expand

The main condition for business development and conquest of new markets is stable operation. If you fail to ensure the proper stability of one stone, you can lose all your positions. Just like go players, start-up businessmen are eager to expand their operations as quickly as possible and maximize profits in the shortest possible time. Ignoring threats that arise nearby and do not pose a direct threat to the company now can lead to serious consequences in the future. Without a plan that ensures the stable operation of the project, a businessman may lose.

The American company iRobot started its activity with the production of one product - a robot vacuum cleaner. Having strengthened its position in one direction, gaining reputation and consumer recognition, the company moved to other areas of activity. Now the company produces robots that work in different directions: from home robots that clean pools and drainage systems to underwater vehicles and combat robots for reconnaissance and demining.
The first lesson is to focus on one idea or one product. Only after strengthening the rear, ensuring the stable operation of the project, and minimizing the impact of external factors should you move on to consistently expanding your market share.

Lesson 2. Development on your own field

Once you have achieved a sufficiently strong position, you must not limit yourself to the occupied part of the board. This will lead to the opponent seizing a strategic advantage, occupying the free part of the board and securing a win.
The board is a market where you need to constantly develop and introduce new solutions into your business. In addition to new areas of activity, the client should receive new services, new and original products, and additional offers. Competitors should not use your opportunities.
An example is the largest Japanese corporation Toyota Motor. This company did not limit itself to the production of classic cars and minibuses with a gasoline engine. The company's strong scientific and technical base, study of customer interests and market trends allowed it to be the first to launch hybrid-powered cars. This step allowed the company to be several years ahead of its competitors in this market segment.

The rule of territorial takeover is applicable not only to large corporations. Territorial acquisition should not imply only geographical expansion of the business or an increase in the production area of the enterprise. Even the owner of a small furniture manufacturing workshop should strive to expand his business. For example, in addition to manufacturing cabinet furniture, you can engage in the restoration and manufacture of components of already manufactured furniture. Or organize cooperation with large manufacturers of luxury furniture from other regions. Such a move will allow you to accept orders, receiving your percentage and profit from the assembly of furniture sets. Non-standard moves narrow down the possibilities of competitors and open up new prospects.

Lesson 3. Effective use of stones.

Go stones are the resources available to a businessman. Business cannot be completely independent. Any project is on the same board as competitors, customers, and government agencies. Any action with a stone will affect the further moves of other players.

Both opponents start the game of Go with the same resources, but by the end of the game, one of them conquers more territory than his opponent. The success of the game and victory depend on the deliberate and efficient use of resources.
If one of the opponents missed a gap in their tactics and did not calculate the outcome of their move, they gave the opponent a great opportunity to improve their position. Strategically verified moves with the calculation of potential outcomes prevent the loss of resources.
In business, just like in a game, you need to calculate your decisions several steps ahead, analyzing external circumstances. Resources should be allocated only to the most important and effective areas of activity. Goods and services that have lost their relevance to customers should be excluded from the company's activities.

Any business project must be adjusted in accordance with changing circumstances. New offers from competitors, the organizational structure of your own company, changes in legislation, the impact of inflation and exchange rates - all this should be calculated when launching a product on the market. Active analytics will help you avoid unjustified costs when launching projects that may turn out to be unsuccessful or untimely.

Lesson 4. Think like an adversary

The game of Go teaches that successful business development requires the ability to see the situation from the competitor's and consumer's point of view. "Turn the map 180 degrees" to analyze market conditions from several perspectives at once. For these purposes, many business owners use market research, identifying customer needs through surveys and studying the demand for specific products.
You should also improve security in your own company. Keeping new developments confidential, protecting data on your own productivity and financial performance, will make it difficult for competitors to use this method.

Careful study of not only the position of your own stones, but also the enemy's prospects, analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, anticipation of their plans - all these actions make the path to victory easier.
Apple has emphasized the production of high-quality, intelligent products with long-term value, aimed at meeting real customer needs. This strategy has made Apple an exceptional market participant in terms of its competitiveness and economic capabilities. Understanding the true needs of the customer can be the starting point for a breakthrough to new horizons.

The game of Go allows everyone to learn their own business lessons, predict possible mistakes, and learn how to develop full-fledged strategies for conquering the market. The development of strategic thinking can be started on online resources or in clubs of game lovers. The main thing is not to be afraid of difficulties and remember that "hard work is easy in training, but not in battle."