Strategy
Discussing strategy, in any area
@trh
Been thinking about this thread a bit.
The reframe from "what do my customers want?" to "how can I recombine my assets?" is a difficult step to take, but can unlock some interesting possibilities.
The likely problem here is that all the players are too entrenched to make something this unconventional happen.
https://x.com/kyalbr/status/1935911335768047853
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@trh
This is an unreal list.
If this is “Basic” then I have a very, very long way to go.
https://strategeion.substack.com/p/a-strategists-basic-bookshelf
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@trh
This is a great example of working backwards from a user's context.
Viewers want to see multiple events at once. Analog approach says, "we can't fix distribution, so let's combine at the point of reception." Google says, "Let's become an intermediate value-added source — that already has distribution access — and remove the cost/burden on the customer side."
Be the set-top box you wish to see in the world.
From today's Stratechery
https://stratechery.com/2025/youtube-tv-wiz-and-why-monopolies-buy-innovation
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@trh
Miscellaneous musings from the weekend. FC-exclusive (!!!) summary:
→ Shoes: treat challenges lie objects, rotating them to see its different attributes
→ Spiders: spider/radar charts help evaluate & weigh interdependent attributes & factors
→ Cities: look at a product/service from the varied interests of actors in your ecosystem.
https://paragraph.xyz/@oo/mental-models
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@trh
>The development of a corporate strategy should amount to more than the aggregation of business unit strategies.
This is the first line from a McKinsey corporate strategy article from 2011 and I feel like I'm either losing my mind or seeing clearly. To me this is so backwards that I almost can't believe it's in print.
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@trh
Last year, I did a lightning session for Miro's conference deal and a year later, I'm surprised & honored that 17 people have used this template. It's not many in the big scheme of things, but I wasn't expecting any.
Pretty wild. It would be rad if there was a way to get feedback from the folks that have copied it. https://miro.com/miroverse/better-bets-template/
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@trh
Anyone here ever used Gartner reports and/or analysts for research?
Positives or negatives?
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@trh
So much of getting something right is getting the level of detail right.
How deep do you dig? How much do you polish? When do you stop and when do you keep going? When to move on to the next chunk of work?
Gotta know what matters. Hold things loosely, be willing to come back to them — or leave them behind.
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@trh
Strategy is as much about deciding what you want as it is about deciding how you’re going to get it. 
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@trh
The insight and linked article are really good, amplified by the reply about demand generation vs demand capture. Classic case of managing what gets measured to the detriment of the whole. https://x.com/i_am_gkennedy/status/1817955893230870742
https://x.com/iamkawawong/status/1817977926941364631?s=46&t=hsxEnviB74VyrsVp6DZTxg
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@trh
I harp on this to the point of frustrating some people. And it's worth it.
When you're not clear on the challenge, the solution gets fuzzy.
Strategy isn't simply thoughtfully planning what to do. If you get nothing else from strategy, get an understanding of the core (tenable) challenge so that you can focus energy where it matters and not get distracted by seemingly-relevant solutions.
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@trh
One way to answer "Why?" is to come at the subject from as many angles & altitudes as possible:
Purpose: is the road designed to be fun? Safe? Fast? Economical? Does it go down, up, or both?
User: what do they need? What do they have to work with: a car, truck, trailer, bicycle, wheelchair, stroller?
Environment: what's the soil like? Will it rain or snow often?
Perspective: as it is, this looks pretty simple, but I imagine if you view it from the opposite angle, the terrain is more clear.
"What do they believe that makes this a good idea?" is usually more helpful than simply, "Why would they do that?"
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@trh
It’s obvious, but I’ll say it anyway:
In a high information asymmetry situation, what looks like a really bad strategy can turn out to be a really good one.
Asking, “What do they know/believe/assume that I don’t?” might get you farther than pontificating why someone is dumb.
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