A Smart Bear: On Strategy

Many startups fail despite identifying a real problem and building a product that solves that problem. This explains why, so you can avoid their fate. —April 2023 | 6,800 words.

We dramatically, repeatedly fail to predict the future. Does that mean “strategy” is senseless? No, it means you need these techniques to navigate a volatile world. —March 2023 | 4,900 words.

This simple method positions your product to be more valuable, especially against competitors who aim to disrupt you, or you them. —June 2023 | 3,800 words.

This fresh take on “Willingness-to-Pay” analyzes three types of customer motivation, leading to superior strategies for growth that also better the world. —May 2023 | 4,000 words.

Targeting your “Ideal Customer Profile” (ICP) is the best way to differentiate and win sales, but does it limit your target market? —January 2024 | 2,800 words.

Real strategy means choosing between two good options and accepting all the consequences—even the painful ones you don’t like. —February 2026 | 2,900 words.

Most so-called “strategies” are vague, wishful thinking, written once and never seen again. Don’t do that. These are the characteristics of great strategy. —August 2023 | 5,900 words.

Mission, vision, purpose, BHAG. Are they useful north stars, or academic nonsense? —November 2025 | 3,500 words.

Not “enabling constraints”, not “weaknesses”, not even “strengths”. The concept of a “Pivot Point” grapples with the same reality, but more constructive and useful. —September 2024 | 4,400 words.

Leveraging strengths – not “fixing weaknesses” – is how to win. Better when differentiated. Best when durable. Here’s how to create leverage. —June 2023 | 3,300 words.

Industries commoditize over time, delivering similar products at similar prices resulting in low profit. Moats are the antidote; your strategy must create some. —May 2022 | 1,800 words.

Why “expected value” doesn’t work; here’s a better framework for making long-term investments in your career, startup, and life. —February 2024 | 2,700 words.

A compass tells you which way is north, not whether you should be heading north. So what is the map to startup success? —January 2013 | 500 words.

How to define your actual target market, which probably isn’t traditional demographics and firmographics. —September 2025 | 2,900 words.

You must select between three pricing strategies, and fully commit to their implications. —June 2025 | 3,800 words.

It’s not a question of if someone copies your business idea, it’s when. —July 2010 | 2,800 words.