The 48 Laws of Power · law 29 of 48

29. Plan All the Way to the End

foresight

The principle

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account every possible consequence, obstacle, and twist of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others.

The application

Most people plan to the launch. The disciplined plan to the outcome of the launch — including the renegotiation, the betrayal, the reorganisation, the next bid. Begin every move from where it will end, not from where it starts.

The defensive tell — how to spot it being run on you

When a counterparty appears to be making a concession but has not specified what happens at the end of the term, the concession is not the move — the silence is. Ask what happens at month 13.

Take the power audit Match a live situation to laws