# 645: Ex McKinsey expert on war games, John Horn. How to read your competitors (Strategy Skills classics)

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Podcast: [The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-strategy-skills-podcast-strategy-leadership-critical-thinking-problem-solving-431195)
Published: 2026-04-15T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://strategyskills.libsyn.com/645-ex-mckinsey-expert-on-war-games-john-horn-how-to-read-your-competitors-strategy-skills-classics
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Duration seconds: 3640

## Resource

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic featuring an interview with the author of Inside the Competitor's Mindset , John Horn , where he shares proven techniques to help businesses think like the competition and understand why they act the way they do. Inside the Competitor's Mindset presents a systematic approach to competitive intelligence that starts with three frameworks to get inside the competitor's mindset, predict their reactions to your moves, and assess whether the competition is getting ready for a spontaneous move of their own. John Horn is a professor of practice in economics at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. He teaches MBA students microeconomics, macroeconomics, and global business. John was a Senior Expert in the Strategy Practice of McKinsey & Company for 9 years, working with clients on competitive strategy, war gaming workshops, and corporate and business unit strategy across a variety of industries and geographies. He helped over 100 clients with war game workshops and developed a set of simulation exercises to help companies understand the challenges of reallocating resources. He continues to consult through his LLC: Gateway Competitive Insights. John has published nine papers in the McKinsey Quarterly and three in the Harvard Business Review, mostly on the application of behavioral economics and competitive insight to business strategy. John has a PhD in economics from Harvard University, where he also received a Masters degree in economics. Get John's book here: https://tinyurl.com/4dbv29ju Inside the Competitor's Mindset: How to Predict Their Next Move and Position Yourself for Success Claim your free gift: Free gift #1 McKinsey & BCG winning resume www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF Free gift #2…

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