All strategists
pre-Zhou · ~1046 BCE

姜子牙Jiang Ziya · Tai Gong · founder of military strategy

"The first counsellor. Long-game. Plant the root before you reach for fruit."

Framework

Way (道) before law (法); timing (天) before terrain (地). A campaign without a moral root collapses regardless of force.

Best for
  • Founding · setting the long arc
  • Moral foundation under a decision
  • Patience · when to wait, when to act
  • Succession · who inherits what
From the canon

"Plan defeat before victory. Holding defeat in mind first, defeat becomes impossible."

六韬 · 兵道

"The world bustles for gain, scatters for gain. Know that, then move beyond it."

六韬 · 文师

Consult Jiang Ziya

Lay out your situation. They'll run it through their framework, lean on one canonical quote, and end with one concrete next step for today.

Start consult