Hey Ashcroft, have you ever thought that the layout of ancient cave art could teach us a thing or two about making better moves in a negotiation? I keep spotting these patterns that look a lot like a strategy map.

I get what you’re saying, but my notebooks are full of spirals that speak of power, not just “offers.” If you want a pattern, I’ll show you the one that marks true hierarchy—no email needed.

Sure, picture a simple, double‑loop spiral—start with a tight circle, then expand outward, each loop touching the previous one like a handprint chain. In a contract, the first loop is the initial offer, the second loop is the counter‑offer, and the third loop is the final agreement. Each turn pulls in the other parties, showing how priorities shift as the negotiation unwinds. If the spiral tightens, that’s like a deal closing faster; if it loosens, it’s a negotiation dragging out. So the pattern in the cave art is just a long‑term map of power moves—exactly what a contract needs to anticipate objections before they even appear.