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The Rules

In no particular order.


Rule 0: Always double-tap

Rule 1: Always have an escape plan.

Rule 2: Be aware of your surroundings.

Rule 3: Assumption is the mother of all fuckups.

Rule 4: Always have a backup plan.

Rule 5: Never get caught.

Rule 6: Keep your mouth shut.

Rule 7: KISS: Keep it simple, stupid.

Rule 8: 7 Ps: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Rule 9: A simple plan with a flexible blueprint will survive real world contact far better than a complex and rule-bound plan.

Rule 10: Plan, execute and vanish.

Rule 11: You don’t have to like it-you just have to do it.

Rule 12: Always invest in good quality gear.

Rule 13: Trust your gut.

Rule 14: Always carry a knife.

Rule 15: Do one thing at a time.

Rule 16: Pick your battles.

Rule 17: Simple and light equals freedom, agility and mobility.

Rule 18: Target dictates the weapon and the weapon dictates the movement.

Rule 19: Use ACTE: assess the situation; create a simple plan; take action and evaluate your progress.

Rule 20: Understand. Anticipate. Adapt.

Rule 21: Don’t believe what you’re told. Double check.

Rule 22: Hide in plain sight. Blend in.

Rule 23: Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.

Rule 24: Find a way to succeed.

Rule 25: Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. (Patton)

Rule 26: A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week. (Patton)

Rule 27: Swift, Silent, Deadly,

The only way to go about doing your business.

Rule 28: The more sophisticated the technology the more vulnerable it is to primitive attacks. People often overlook the obvious.

Rule 29: If you’re happy with your security, so are the bad guys.


Rule 30: If you have a secret, the best thing is to keep it to yourself. The second-best is to tell one other person if you must. There is no third best.

Rule 31: “Bad guys attack, and good guys react” is not a viable security strategy.

Rule 32: An adversary is most vulnerable to detection and disruption just prior to an attack.

Rule 33: Low-tech attacks work (even against high-tech devices and systems).

Rule 34: Never mess with a man’s coffee if you want to live.

Rule 35: When overwhelmed divide the tasks in smaller subtasks, simplify.

Rule 36: Always be ready to go at any moment’s notice. Learn to be light and move fast.

Rule 37: Don’t spend time trying to move your opponent, just move yourself.

Rule 38: The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead! (Patton)

Rule 39: The quality of your friends always matters more than the quantity.

Rule 40: Always be surrounded by the right people.

Rule 41: Always provide correction in private and praise in public.

Rule 42: He who angers you conquers you.

Rule 43: Do nothing which is of no use. (Miyamoto Musashi)

Rule 44: Be content with what you have.

Rule 45: Opening the door for a lady is not optional.

Rule 46: Sensible defaults can reduce friction and provide simplicity anywhere one can think to apply them. (Patrick Rhone)

Rule 47: There’s nothing wrong with staying small. You can do big things with a small team.

Rule 48: Personal notes should always be handwritten, however be prepare to destroy them at a moment’s notice.

Rule 49: Diplomas and certifications are OK, but trust experience over a diploma any time.

Rule 50: The greater the level of calmness of our mind, the greater our peace of mind, the greater our ability to enjoy life.

Rule 51: Find something you are willing to die for.

Rule 52: Don’t go into debt.

Rule 53: The only kind of marketing you need is an amazing product.

Rule 54: Do not publish your life online, keep your life private.

Rule 55: Disconnect completely once in a while.

Rule 56: Live simply.

Rule 57: Under promise and over deliver.

Rule 58: When in doubt, frag out.

Rule 59: Progress comes to those who train and train; reliance on secret techniques will get you nowhere. (Morihei Ueshiba)

Rule 60: Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. (David Ben-Gurion)

Rule 61: Don’t ever write a check with your mouth you can’t cash with your ass. (Wiseman). See Rule 6.

Rule 62: Some people just need a high-five. In the face, with a chair.

Rule 63: You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain. (Musashi)

Rule 64: To know ten thousand things, know one well. (Musashi)

Rule 65: You are what you do when it counts.

Rule 66: If you think it was too easy, it was a trap.

Rule 67: The bad guys don’t obey our security policies.

Rule 68: Be on time.






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