We recorded this one on 13 May 2025, Top Gun Day. Mark “Moose” McGrath and I used it to walk through what we call the Four Ps of OODA: perception, pathfinding, prediction and planning. Boyd flew fighters and taught fighter tactics. His loop grew out of a much wider body of work.
Where the loop came from
Boyd pulled from systems theory, natural science, philosophy, warfare, the Toyota Production System and the study of cognition. That consilience is why the loop travels so well. We treat it as a way to navigate complex, uncertain environments, with orientation as the Schwerpunkt.
The Four Ps
The Four Ps give people a way to see the loop’s fractal, adaptive character. Perception, pathfinding, prediction and planning all run through orientation at the same time. We draw on Karl Friston’s free energy principle, Chuck Spinney’s work on evolutionary epistemology, and conversations with Chet Richards and Sarah Kernion. We also take apart the linear models that bolt extra letters onto OODA.
Where it applies
We cover cognitive warfare, corporate strategy and flow. One story comes from a seventh-grade basketball team that used breathing techniques to mount a comeback. Last of the Mohicans and Top Gun make an appearance too.
The episode ends with a request. Keep your strategic thinking in house, and read more on The Whirl of ReOrientation.
Which of the Four Ps does your team practice least?
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