Why the centennial matters to us
John Boyd would have turned 100 on 23 January 2027. No Way Out exists because of his work. Every episode comes back to the question he spent his life on: how do people, teams, and organizations orient and adapt when the world keeps changing around them?
Most people meet Boyd through a simple four-box drawing. His own sketch puts orientation at the center, with implicit guidance and control and feedback running through the whole thing. We have spent years on the show working from his sketch, and the centennial gives us a reason to go back to the people who knew him.
I have been reading through John Boyd’s papers, which the Marine Corps History Division holds. The letters, briefings, and notes name many people who worked with him, argued with him, and carried his ideas into their own fields. Many of them are still with us. We want their memories and their arguments on the record.
What we are planning
Here is the plan as it stands today. I will update it on this page as it firms up.
Full conversations on No Way Out with people named in the Boyd papers. We aim to release them in the weeks around 23 January 2027.
Short recorded remembrances from people who cannot join for a full episode. [TBD: format and length.]
One YouTube playlist that collects every Boyd 100 episode. [TBD: playlist name and link.]
This page, with a running record of who has joined and what they recorded.
[TBD: anything else, such as a live session, a reading list, or items from the papers.]
If your name appears in the Boyd papers and you would like to take part, [TBD: how to reach us].
Who is joining
We add each person to this table once they agree to take part. The status column shows where each conversation stands: invited, confirmed, recorded, or published.
Name: [TBD] · Connection to Boyd: [TBD] · Status: [TBD] · Recording: [TBD: episode link once published]
Name: [TBD] · Connection to Boyd: [TBD] · Status: [TBD] · Recording: [TBD: episode link once published]
Name: [TBD] · Connection to Boyd: [TBD] · Status: [TBD] · Recording: [TBD: episode link once published]
Latest updates
Newest first.
[TBD: publish date], 2026. We opened this page. The first invitations go out [TBD: date].
How to follow along
Subscribe to No Way Out to get each update and each new episode by email. You can also listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Subscribe on Substack:
https://nowayoutpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
Watch on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@nowayoutpodcast
Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-way-out/id1663685759
Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5fzIKBmVR7ARosQ3I52uNC
Where to start
These two episodes are a good way into Boyd before the centennial conversations begin.
Growing Up in the OODA Loop: Unpacking COL John Boyd’s Legacy with daughter, Mary Boyd:
John Boyd’s Destruction and Creation at 50: The Paper Behind the Real OODA Loop:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2109174/episodes/19750143-john-boyd-s-destruction-and-creation-at-50-the-paper-behind-the-real-ooda-loop