other’s shoes

One of my favorite things to do is put myself in someone else’s shoes and think, “How would I get out of this mess?” So, hypothetically speaking, if I were a company facing massive legal, regulatory, and public pressure, I’d probably try something like this-honestly, it would be brilliant if it weren’t so risky. First, I’d avoid discovery like the plague. Why let anyone dig through my emails, asset transfers, or ownership shifts? I’d stall, file motions, and delay until I had enough time to move assets around and set up an escape hatch. That’s where the real magic happens. I’d quietly create a new company-put it under a family member’s name or a trusted associate-and start transferring future assets and opportunities to it. The old brand might sink, but the new one? Spotless. I’d even keep my most trusted executives-the ones who didn’t poke holes in the ship-on ice, ready to resurface at the new entity once the dust settled. And my opposition? I wouldn’t just neutralize them; I’d make them reliant on me. I’d hand over some assets tied to my supply chain, so they think they’re free, but I’d still control their products and pricing. If they succeed, I profit. If they fail, I buy it back cheap. Better yet, I’d have them do all the dirty work-fix the damage, rebrand everything, and make it shiny again-so I could swoop in and take it all back when the time was right. To really lock it down, I’d isolate them from the rest of the industry, make sure they couldn’t network or grow without me, and apply just enough pressure-nothing too crazy, just a few nudges to make them question if fighting is even worth it. Then, I’d tie it all up with a non-disparagement and non-disclosure clause in the settlement so they couldn’t say a word about the case or my next move. With the opposition silenced, I’d roll out the new company with a fresh name, a clean slate, and zero connection to the chaos. By the time anyone figured it out, I’d be too far ahead to catch. Obviously, no one would ever do something this brilliant and thought out, but damn, if this were a plan, it’s a brilliant chess move, I must say. But again, hypothetical-none of this has happened. I just thought I’d talk about what I think about. Hypothetically speaking, of course. But man, what happens if the opposition doesn’t fold, digs deeper, and regulators start sniffing around? That would be a game changer. But again this should be in a textbook for a master chess move in business strategy… if it wasn’t hypothetical of course.