What does a strong value offering look like?
There are only two directions a business can take to build a strong value offering: 1 – Enhancing an existing value the market 2 – Bringing a new value to the market Generally speaking, 1 is weak and 2 is strong. As I’ve argued many times before, delivering a greater degree of something is far less […]
The most important metric
When I was around 15, me and a pal went to see the movie Collateral, starring Tom Cruise. In it Cruise played a colder-than-ice assassin on the streets of a neo-noir Los Angeles. Sufficed to say we were pretty impressed. So much so in fact that my friend briefly experimented with modelling his personal […]
The most powerful market force nobody talks about
The other day on Twitter, a chap asked a perfectly reasonable question: “Zoom is now worth $130B and I still don’t know what their moat is. Brand?” His question is a variation of the critique that has been put to many a founder when seeking investment. “What’s to stop someone coming and copying you?”. The […]
Don’t plan for the future, plan for the past
Strategy is traditionally seen as a forward-looking exercise. This stands to reason since, in the words of my pal Robin Bonn, every strategy is essentially a “bet” that a certain course of action will work out in the future. We think that X is going to happen and therefore we are going to do Y […]
A definition of insight that’s actually useful
Really you’ve got to feel sorry for insight. This poor little word is so abused and misunderstood that it’s a wonder that it’s managed to survive this long. But then perhaps that’s its strength? It’s so nebulous that it can mean whatever you want it to mean – and nobody understands it quite well enough […]
Don’t dream big, dream mediocre
This is a more subtle idea than it sounds, and one that I’ve found to be a key stumbling block for individuals and businesses seeking to perform at a high level. To illustrate the point in a basic way, say you want to be a world-class pianist. Clearly, to reach that level, you will have […]
Beyond success: the anatomy of greatness
Consider the gap represented by these comparisons: HP vs. Apple James Milner vs. Eric Cantona Avatar vs. 2001: A Space Odyssey Wladimir Klitschko vs. Muhammad Ali In each case, you have two things that are both incredibly successful, and yet the latter examples possess a quality that the former – even if they’re more successful […]
Before You Rebrand, Read This
Rebranding is one of the most disruptive, expensive, and significant exercises any business can undertake. And you know what? Generally it’s a complete waste of time. This isn’t to say that most businesses don’t need to improve their brand and brand strategy – they do. It’s just that when they do it they normally go […]
The inherent danger of strategy
“The opposite of success is not failure but mediocrity”. I was really struck by this quote by Michael E. Raynor as I think it reveals an important principle in strategic decision making. His point was that strategic behaviour – defined as utter commitment to a specific path – not only increases your chances of massive […]
Product Market Fit – not just for tech brands
Following a webinar I did the other day for Young Foodies, a viewer got in touch with me. He commented that it was great to see “Product Market Fit” – a tech concept – applied to the world of food and drink. This struck me, because it wasn’t something I had intended. However he is […]