My 8-year-old son loves football. He plays as a defender on his school team. After every match, he comes home excited to tell me how it went—how he helped his team defend the goal, block shots, or intercept passes. He also shares that he’d love to be a striker someday, so he can score goals instead of stopping them.
I told him that: “Every role in the team matters. You can win by attacking hard and scoring. You can also win by defending well and letting the other team make mistakes. Whichever strategy you use, it’s all about choosing the right way that fits you most.”
The story from my son’s football match reminded me of a powerful mental model from Simon Ramo’s book Extraordinary Tennis for the Ordinary Player. Ramo, a physicist and strategist, studied tennis and came to a surprising insight:
Two Very Different Games
In amateur tennis, 80% of points are lost due to unforced errors. The one who makes fewer mistakes usually wins. This is called the Loser’s Game.
In professional tennis, 80% of points are won by hitting skillful shots. Victory comes from making great plays. This is the Winner’s Game.
So the strategies are different:
In the Loser’s Game, you win by playing safe, avoiding errors, and letting your opponent self-destruct.
In the Winner’s Game, you win by playing boldly, executing flawlessly, and pushing your edge.
Both are valid—the key is knowing which game you're in.
This Applies Far Beyond Sports
In life and work, we’re all constantly shifting between Winner’s Games and Loser’s Games.
Here are a few examples:
Pilots play a Loser’s Game — their goal is to avoid mistakes. Winning means that nothing bad happens.
A strong accounting team plays a Loser’s Game — accuracy, compliance, and consistency are everything. Think of Enron, which collapsed by trying to play a Winner’s Game with “creative accounting.”
When a company like Apple launches an innovative product like the iPhone, it’s a Winner’s Game — high risk, high reward, and timing matters.
Knowing the difference helps you play smarter, not harder.
So How Do We Apply Both?
Here’s how you can flexibly and effectively use both strategies to maximize your success:
Know the Game You’re In
Understand your competence and how to play it well. Then choose the right game by asking yourself:
Is this situation about winning through performance? (e.g., launching a product, pitching an idea)
Or is it about avoiding mistakes and staying in the game? (e.g., compliance, health, brand reputation)
If the upside is small, but the cost of mistakes is high, you’re in a Loser’s Game.
If the rewards are high, and you have a real edge, you’re in a Winner’s Game.
A friend of mine is currently training for the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in France. His preparation is a perfect blend of both games:
On one hand, he needs endurance, discipline, and injury prevention — Loser’s Game.
On the other hand, he must tap into his physical and mental strengths to beat his competitors — Winner’s Game.
So, before making a decision, zoom out and ask:
“What game am I playing? What’s the cost of failure vs. the value of bold moves?”
Then adjust your approach accordingly.
Choose Simplicity Over Sophistication
Many of life’s most important areas are Loser’s Games — not because they’re low-value, but because winning is about avoiding preventable loss.
If you want good health, exercise regularly, eat real food, and sleep well.
If you want career growth, show up, keep promises, and deliver consistently.
These things don’t win headlines — but they win trust, resilience, and long-term results.
I learned this the hard way in investing.
In 2020–2021, during the market boom fueled by government stimulus, my portfolio doubled and outperformed the market. I felt confident — maybe too confident. But when the tide turned in 2022–2023, my portfolio took a bigger hit than the index.
Reflecting on that, I realized: I was playing the wrong game. I tried to beat the market — a classic Winner’s Game — without a real edge.
But investing, for most people, even professionals, is a Loser’s Game. The goal is to avoid major losses, stay diversified, and play the long game.
Now, I focus more on index funds and high-quality blue-chip stocks.
Simple. Boring. Effective.
Value doesn’t come from complexity. It comes from clarity.
Time Your Moves
In the 2024 commencement speech at Dartmouth, Roger Federer shared this surprising insight:
“I played 1,526 singles matches and won nearly 80% of them. But do you know how many of the points I won? Only 54%.”
That means even one of the greatest athletes of all time lost nearly half the points he played.
His success came not from dominating every moment, but from winning the right ones.
So in life:
For most of the time, play safe. Stay consistent. Don’t burn out.
For some of the time, go bold. Make your move when it counts.
Winners endure, and they strike at the right time.
Don’t Take It Personally
Federer also said something else worth remembering:
“You can work harder than you thought possible... and still lose.”
In your career, your relationships, or your investments, you’ll have ups and downs. Sometimes, you’ll make all the right moves… and things still won’t go your way.
When that happens, it’s easy to doubt yourself.
But as Federer said:
“Negative energy is wasted energy.”
Mastering how to bounce back from hard moments is the real sign of a champion, not just winning.
The most successful people I know don’t just work hard — they play the right game, at the right time, with the right strategy.
They know when to avoid mistakes and when to chase opportunity.
They don’t try to win every point — just the ones that matter.
And when they lose, they reflect, reset, and get ready to play again.
Because life isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about playing smart , and staying in the game.
That’s all for today. Till next week!
Cheers,
Do Thi Dieu Thuong