Codie Sanchez argued that identifying an adversary can be a powerful driver of clarity, resilience, and momentum in both business and life.

“You need an enemy,” Sanchez wrote in an article for Contrarian Thinking. “Humans are built for opposition. Opposition forces focus. Focus forces action. Action forces outcomes. Outcomes force clarity.”

Sanchez said that enemies don’t need to be people—they can be systems, ideologies, inefficiencies, or even outdated versions of ourselves. By naming what we’re fighting against, she wrote, we create a narrative that compels forward movement. In her own work, she cited her enemy as “the W-2 industrial complex,” referring to the dependence on a single employer for income and security.

The piece also explored how founders and creators who clearly define their opposition tend to build more loyal audiences. She pointed to figures like Elon Musk and Alex Hormozi, who have turned their fights—against regulatory inertia or conventional wisdom—into rallying cries that galvanize their followers.

Codie Sanchez is the founder of Contrarian Thinking, an entrepreneurial media company focused on financial freedom through unconventional investing. A former journalist and private equity investor, she now advocates for acquiring “boring businesses” as a path to wealth and autonomy. Her newsletter and podcast reach millions of readers and listeners seeking alternative ways to build resilience in a rapidly changing economy.