My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
If the opposite of your strategy is stupid, it's not a strategy
A strategic thinking tool that tests whether a proposed strategy is actually differentiated by asking whether any reasonable competitor would choose the opposite approach
Decision Rule
Before committing to a strategy, articulate the opposite approach. If no rational competitor would choose that opposite, your strategy is not actually strategic - it's just table stakes
How It Works
Forces you to identify what trade-offs you're making and what you're giving up to gain something else. Real strategies involve conscious trade-offs that other companies wouldn't make
Failure Modes
Mistaking operational excellence for strategy
Choosing 'strategies' that are just basic business requirements
Not identifying the actual trade-offs being made
Example Decision
“Company claims strategy is 'best customer service.' Test: would competitors say 'our strategy is worst customer service'? No, so this isn't strategic. Better: 'We provide instant response but charge premium prices' - competitors might choose 'slower response, lower prices'”
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if the opposite of your strategy is stupid, then it's not a strategy
Real strategies involve trade-offs that competitors wouldn't make, not just best practices everyone agrees with