Thinking Like David: How to Win in a World of Unequal Odds

Today, when resources are limited and the speed of decision-making often determines not only effectiveness but survival itself, what we need are not just new tools. We need a new lens of thinking.

And it is precisely this that one of the most prominent business thinkers of our time, Adrian Slywotzky, offers in his book “David Wins: The Discipline of Asymmetric Victory” – one of the deepest strategic texts of recent decades.

The model he describes is not yet another business theory for corporations with billion-dollar budgets. It is a living system of principles that helps small players defeat stronger ones, agile ones – outplay the slow, and the brave – change the rules of the game.

It consists of eight interconnected elements: Scale, Failure, Speed, Frugality, Access, Algorithms, Magnetism, and Story. Yet the true power of this Model unfolds not in abstract examples but in real crisis contexts – such as ours, the Ukrainian one. In places where resources are scarce but willpower is abundant; where circumstances force rapid action, and the cost of a mistake does not allow surrender.

And today, the team of the Center for Leadership of UCU invites you to take a closer look at this Model together with us. To fully appreciate its potential impact on the realities in which Ukrainian leaders live. To learn to recognize its elements in daily actions. And most importantly – to try integrating them into your own strategy, team, business, or military unit.

So before you is not merely an analysis of a book – but an invitation to view reality through the eyes of David, who knows: Asymmetry is not weakness, but a source of strength.

From Business Theory to Ukrainian Reality

At first glance, “grand strategies” often seem distant from small businesses, startups, or civic initiatives. Yet each of the eight elements of Adrian Slywotzky’s Model is a point of tension between limitation and possibility. And it is precisely in Ukraine – where problems must be solved “on the edge” – that these points are most acute, and at the same time, most fertile.

When we read about Scale, we don’t think about million-dollar profits. We think about solving a problem that everyone before us considered insurmountable. When we see Failure, we perceive it not as collapse but as a natural step on the path to Victory. When we hear about Algorithms, we imagine not something artificial or fantastical, but a concrete way to structure the chaos of war or crisis.

So let us dive into the Model of Asymmetric Struggle – but already with a “Ukrainian soul”. And let us try to see it in our businesses, projects, and, above all, in the heroic stories that surround us every day.

Scale: About Vision That Determines Growth

In the context of the collective “David”, Scale is not just a large market or a sizable team. It is the choice of a problem so big that even a “wrong” solution has a chance to become a breakthrough.

“The asymmetric player is always in search of the biggest problems. The choice of a problem – […] this is a powerful magnet for the best talents”,

Adrian Slywotzky never tires of repeating.

In Ukraine, Scale can take extremely diverse forms:

• not to build “just another startup”, but to propose a solution no one has yet dared to attempt;
• not simply to “found a business”, but to transform logistics, education, healthcare, or the defense sector – those systems traditionally seen as “too big” to change;
• and to implement ideas that aim to change the very logic of modern warfare.

When the scale of thinking appears within your team, you begin to see hidden trampolines capable of giving you the impulse to leap – even where others inevitably fall.

Failure – Not an Enemy, But Your Strategic Ally

The author of the Model does not conceal Failure. More than that – in his view, without it, the path of the asymmetric player simply does not exist:

“Every asymmetric competitor understands: this path is saturated with Failures, and Failures themselves are the shortest route to victory”.

In our reality, this means we endure destroyed plans, failed products or security solutions, shifts in customer behavior, and changes in the enemy’s strategy. As well as the instability of our very existence. Yet if a team stops because of fear of mistakes – it loses its chance forever.

Failure becomes useful when you ask: “What exactly didn’t work? Why? How can we change this?” – and then begin a new cycle of experiments informed by that experience.

Speed: Our Response to the Challenges of the Era

“Speed is one of the first commandments of asymmetric players”,

the author of the concept likes to repeat.

In conflict, in crisis, in global competition – the speed of response is often more valuable than resources. And over the past few years, each of us has faced the need to switch within hours, change strategies within days, and react to new data almost every minute.

But Speed without meaning is always chaos. Therefore, it must be disciplined – beginning with rapid testing, through accelerated adaptation, and all the way to instant feedback.

Frugality: Conscious Toughness of Choice

“Tenfold frugality… Asymmetric players are seekers of frugality. But only of radical frugality”.

Frugality is not about “saving everything everywhere”, but about investing only in what truly generates growth.

In Ukraine, this manifests when startups operate without offices; when volunteer initiatives carefully select resources; when businesses endure crises by reducing expenses without lowering value.

And importantly, it is precisely Frugality that stimulates creativity: when you cannot “buy everything”, you are forced to invent – or to change the very rules of the game.

Access: About Openness as a Strategic Advantage

Access is the ability to connect to resources, partners, platforms, and knowledge – all that helps reduce the cost of the final product, shorten logistical distance, and cut the time needed for decision-making.

In our context, Ukraine actively uses international grants, donor institutions, global accelerators, open data technologies, networks of mentors, and the capacities and logistics of its allies.

All of this creates a harmonious – and most importantly, dynamic – system of Access, where every element is important in its own way. And the experience of cooperation only deepens Trust.

Algorithms: From Chaos to a Self-Sustaining System

“Algorithms […] are the very essence of all processes and the company’s product”,

assures his readers the business thinker.

For the collective “David”, an Algorithm is not only about code or AI – but about creating systems that function predictably, can scale, and operate with minimal “human noise”.

In business, they appear as models of decision-making, systems of customer service, or analytics that anticipate trends. In military affairs – as tactical procedures, logistical scenarios, and the processing of combat data.

Algorithms are the framework that allows other elements of the Model to function reliably, even in times of instability.

Magnetism: To Attract, Not to Seek

Magnetism is when the world itself “reaches” toward you.

Adrian Slywotzky writes that choosing a great problem is already a magnet for talent. In our environment, projects that carry Meaning quickly gather supporters. And this applies not only to volunteer platforms, but also to Mission-driven startups and social enterprises.

Thus, when your project possesses inner Magnetism, external resources (investors, partners, or talents) often find you on their own.

Story: About Meaning That Unites

“People do not follow a plan. People follow a Story”,

the author of the book asserts.

Story is not just marketing. It is the architecture of Meaning. When your Story is not a set of words but a lived experience, it builds Trust.

In the Ukrainian context, the story of struggle, of challenges, of faith – is what unites internally and draws attention from the outside. So when an investor reads: “We are launching our product even under shelling because we believe it will change lives”, they are no longer simply investing in a business. They are investing in a legend.

How to Learn to Notice the Model in Action (and in Yourself)?

1. Conscious Scanning of Your Surroundings

Under any circumstances – whether it’s an event, a decision, or a project – take the opportunity to pause and look: Where is the Scale here? Where could Failure occur? What already functions as an Algorithm? What are we being Frugal in? What is our Story?

2. Mini-Experiments with One Element

You don’t need to grasp the entire Model at once. Choose one element that is most relevant for you today. For example: “Today we will accelerate this part and turn it into an Algorithm”, or “We will retell our Story to other people and see how it resonates”.

3. Reflection After Action

After every step, analyze: What worked? Where was there chaos? At which stages did we lose excessive resources? And where did we neglect Magnetism or Story?

4. Reinforcing One Element Through Another

For example: Algorithms reinforce Speed. Magnetism improves Access. Frugality stimulates creativity within Scale.

5. Shared Vision Within the Team

For even the best Model to truly “live”, the team must understand and discuss it. To have what can be called an “inner vocabulary”: “This is an Algorithm”, “Here is a point of Access”, “And here is our Story”.

So What’s Next?

Adrian Slywotzky’s Model is not just a set of principles that sound good on paper. It is about a way of thinking and acting that leads to Victory in a world of extreme competition and threats. When resources are scarce but willpower is extraordinary. And when an unequal struggle is not a temporary challenge but the forced backdrop of our lives.

And if you feel that you want to deepen this way of thinking – to move it from the level of ideas to the level of action – don’t miss the opportunity to get acquainted with Adrian Slywotzky’s work. And also – to join his course “Asymmetric Speed”, offered by UCU Online.

After all, it is an opportunity not merely to read about “David”, but to become “David” – one capable of changing the world’s very understanding of the discipline of Asymmetric Victory.