Swimming with Sharks – My Infinite Game

When things come from the inside, they carry a weight nothing external can match. At eighteen, I looked out at the market and didn’t see calm, blue water. I saw red.

Red meant competition at every turn. Giants with endless resources. Players willing to do anything to win.

So I did something simple: I bought a book called How to Swim with Sharks. I wanted technique, not bravado. Principles, not slogans. Years later, I’m peacefully swimming with sharks-and I’ve learned that this isn’t a race you finish. It’s an infinite game.

From Red Oceans to Open Water

Early on, I believed the choice was to fight harder or get eaten. But red oceans don’t reward louder splashes; they reward smarter navigation. The shift for me wasn’t about escaping the sharks. It was about learning how to coexist with them-and sometimes, draft behind them.

In practice, that meant:

Competing on uniqueness, not on noise. When everyone is shouting, clarity whispers the loudest.
Letting values set the course. Integrity isn’t decoration-it’s the backbone that keeps you from capsizing when the water turns.
Playing long games with long-term people. Real partnerships are built on trust and compounding outcomes, not one-off wins.

Coping with Giants

Giants do what giants do: move fast, buy speed, and shape tides. You won’t out-muscle a current like that. But you can read it.

Here’s what helped me cope:

Know your stroke. Do a few things exceptionally well and say no to the rest. Focus is a moat.
Choose your current. Markets are currents. Pick the one that turns your effort into leverage.
Stay calm when the water churns. Panic burns oxygen. Stillness buys you options.
Use constraints as design. Limits force creativity. Make them part of your operating system.
Protect the hull. Your reputation is the boat. Guard it relentlessly.

The Infinite Game Mindset

Finite games are about scoreboards. Infinite games are about staying in the water-learning, adapting, compounding. The aim isn’t to defeat every shark; it’s to keep building a craft that stays seaworthy as the ocean changes.

What that looks like day to day:

Principles over tactics. Tactics expire. Principles scale.
Compounding over headlines. Small, consistent advantages beat flashy, fragile wins.
Relationships over transactions. Who you swim with determines how far you go.
Curiosity over certainty. The ocean is bigger than your map. Keep updating it.

A Moment I Still Think About

There was a time a “shark” circled a deal I really wanted. Old me would have tightened every muscle and chased it. Instead, I slowed down. I listened. I looked for a current I could own. I reframed the offer around what only we could deliver-something hard to copy and easy to feel.

We didn’t just win the deal. We earned a partner. Different game.

If You’re in Red Water Right Now

You don’t need to grow gills or teeth. You need rhythm. A backbone. A compass.

Start here:

Write down three things you refuse to compromise on. That’s your backbone.
Identify the one capability that sets you apart. Double down; cut the rest.
Find one current you can ride for the next 12 months-a distribution channel, a niche, a problem you can own end-to-end.

I Will Never Become a Shark

Swimming with sharks is not about becoming one. Predation is a finite tactic; integrity is an infinite advantage. My non-negotiables:

Compete without dehumanizing opponents.
Tell the truth, even when it slows the sale.
Choose consent and transparency over clever tricks.
Win by creating value that partners and customers would miss if it disappeared.
Walk away when the price is my principles.

This is how I stay peaceful in red water and still sleep at night.

Closing the Loop

At eighteen I realized the ocean is red. Today I’m calm, alert, and still in love with the water. The sharks are still here. They always will be. But I’m not trying to beat them anymore. I’m trying to stay in the game, keep learning, and help others find their stroke.

If this resonates, share it with someone who’s swimming hard right now. And if you’re one of the sharks reading this-see you out there. There’s room for all of us in the infinite game.