In the Preface of The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek introduces the main problem that his argument addresses: The win-lose mentality encouraged by modern business practices has created unethical cultures at major corporations. The short-term win-lose approach to business prioritizes a hypercompetitive work environment, mass layoffs to meet quotas, and praise of high-performing but toxic team members. Sinek believes that after the Industrial Revolution, the “impersonal and transactional approach to business” established a status quo that favors profit over people (xii). He advocates for an alternative: the development of leaders who want to build organizations that last beyond their lifetime to benefit the world. His purpose for writing the book is “to rally those who are ready to challenge the status quo” and rebuild business practices that favor innate human needs of safety, community, and fulfillment through work (xiii).

Sinek begins the Introduction by recounting the historical events of the Têt Offensive in 1968 during the Vietnam War. The American forces lost less than 1,000 troops, compared to the North Vietnamese forces who lost over 35,000 troops. In fact, the Vietnam War followed the same pattern: The North Vietnamese forces lost over three million people, while the American forces lost 58,000 troops.