The hottest Strategy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Startups: Stop innovating so damn much

CommandBlogue • 1 HN point • 06 Sep 24
💼 Business Startups Innovation Management Strategy Leadership
  1. Startups should focus their innovation efforts on fewer things that really matter. Trying to change everything can slow your progress and make things confusing.
  2. Innovation comes with risks, especially if a startup decides to ignore proven methods that have worked for successful companies. It's often safer to go with what’s already known to work.
  3. Not all areas need innovation. It's smarter to copy what works well in job roles, company structure, and communication tools, so you can spend your energy on truly valuable changes.

One Year of The Case

the case for brand 💼 • 7 implied HN points • 23 Nov 24
💼 Business Branding Marketing Strategy Entrepreneurship Communication
  1. Writing helps to clarify thoughts and ideas clearly. It's like a tool that can really improve your understanding.
  2. People are really interested in detailed stories about how brands succeed. These deep dives into brand strategies are valuable to many.
  3. The future will see continued experimentation and interesting interviews with influential figures in branding. There’s a lot of excitement around who can be featured next.

In Between Two Forces

Building Rome(s) • 15 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
💼 Business Management Leadership Strategy Execution Collaboration
  1. Technical Program Managers (TPMs) help connect the vision of leaders with the execution of managers. They play a key role in ensuring that strategies are implemented effectively.
  2. Collaboration with Product Managers is crucial for TPMs. Working together helps them handle complex projects and achieve great results.
  3. TPMs need to be clear and adaptable. They must turn challenges into opportunities and keep teams focused on success, no matter the situation.
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The strategy behind the fastest growing sport in America

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 09 Apr 24
🎾 Sports Community Trends Growth Strategy
  1. Pickleball is popular because it's easy to learn, making it fun for beginners. Players can quickly develop their skills and enjoy the game without a long learning curve.
  2. The sport is affordable, with cheaper equipment compared to tennis. This lower cost makes it easier for more people to try and stick with the game.
  3. Community plays a big role in pickleball's growth. The social aspect encourages players to connect with others, which keeps them coming back for more.

My Kendom for a Horse?

Comment is Freed • 143 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Analysis Movies Strategy Fiction Gender
  1. Barbie Land in the movie depicts themes of power, strategy, and a shift in political systems between Barbies and Kens.
  2. The strategic analysis highlights the importance of coalitions, indirect means, empathy, ideological commitment, legitimacy, and consequences of strategic choices.
  3. The Barbies use deception, understanding of their opponents, and misdirection to achieve their objectives in the face of a male-dominated society.

"I don't want to do our cheat way of getting 12 objectives by bundling everything under three things"

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 4 HN points • 23 Jul 24
💼 Business Strategy Management Leadership Team Dynamics Productivity
  1. It's really hard to focus on just three priorities because teams often want to tackle too many things at once. Picking fewer goals helps you actually get more done.
  2. Organizations keep adding new projects and ideas without removing old ones, which creates overload. It's important to occasionally remove tasks or projects to avoid burnout.
  3. Having too many ideas can slow down progress, so it’s essential to have a way to filter them. Voting or aligning them with key priorities helps decide which ideas to pursue.

Welcome to Upon Reflection!

Upon Reflection • 39 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
💼 Business Leadership Strategy Culture Teams Professional Growth
  1. This space focuses on topics like personal and professional growth, executing strategy, evolving company culture, and building high-performing teams relevant to modern-day leaders.
  2. The platform is intended for those pursuing meaningful work, leading authentically, feeling stuck, or first-time leaders looking for a fresh approach.
  3. Subscribing offers insights gathered from numerous sources like books, coaching clients, and case studies to equip leaders with tools and mindsets for effective leadership.

The game of Nim

Infinitely More • 10 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🚌 Education Mathematics Games Logic Strategy Learning
  1. The game of Nim is based on a smart mathematical strategy that lets informed players almost always win against those who don't know the trick.
  2. In Nim, players take turns removing coins from piles, and the goal is to take the last coin to win.
  3. Anyone, even kids, can learn the winning strategy and easily beat more experienced players who don't know it.

What makes an organization great at strategy?

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
🎾 Sports Basketball Strategy Teams Players Podcasts
  1. Great organizations learn from the best in sports, like the NBA. They adapt and apply successful strategies to stay competitive.
  2. Focusing on teamwork and individual talent is key for success. Just like in basketball, each player's strengths contribute to the overall performance.
  3. Instead of getting caught up in drama, it's important to concentrate on what makes teams and players excel. This mindset can also apply to business.

Ukraine's Counter-Offensive: Setting Expectations

Comment is Freed • 138 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
🌍 World Politics Military Conflict Strategy Diplomacy Alliance
  1. Putin's determination to avoid loss in the war has had heavy consequences for both Ukraine and Russia.
  2. The success of Ukraine's offensive relies on their armed forces liberating territory to have a significant impact on Putin's positions.
  3. Ukraine faces challenges in their offensive due to Russian formidable defenses, coordination issues, and the need for caution in military progress assessments.

What the demise of Sears teaches us about strategy

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 59 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
💼 Business Strategy Retail Identity Marketing History
  1. Knowing who you are as a business is really important. Sears changed its identity multiple times, which helped it grow in the beginning, but not knowing who they were later on hurt them.
  2. Sears' shift from a catalog seller to a retail store showed that businesses should adapt to changes in the world. They had to think ahead about where their stores should be to meet customer needs as habits shifted.
  3. When businesses don't have a clear identity, they can make confusing decisions that lead to failure. A strong identity helps guide choices and keeps companies focused on what they do best.

How To Run An Offsite

Build To Scale • 59 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
💼 Business Management Strategy Leadership Teamwork Creativity
  1. An effective offsite meeting should have a clear purpose, such as planning for strategic changes, setting priorities, or working on challenging problems creatively.
  2. Include the next-level up-and-coming leaders in executive offsite meetings to have a broader impact and develop managerial talent.
  3. To tackle hard problems, gather a diverse group of people from different areas within the company to brainstorm solutions, as fresh perspectives can lead to creative breakthroughs.

Defining Your Leadership Principles

The Digital Leader Newsletter -- By John Rossman • 58 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
💼 Business Company Culture Strategy Innovation Employee engagement
  1. Clearly defined leadership principles help guide an organization's direction and increase its velocity.
  2. Developing leadership principles should be a collaborative and iterative process, not rushed or outsourced.
  3. Leadership principles should be specific, actionable, and not just generic statements to truly make a difference in an organization.

The consulting grass needs watering to be greener

Kenny’s Sub • 39 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
💼 Business Freelancing Consulting Entrepreneurship Strategy Design
  1. Freelancing allows for more control and fulfillment in your work. You can choose projects that excite you instead of being stuck in a regular job.
  2. It's important to build strong relationships and always keep your pipeline full. Referrals can greatly help in getting new clients and sustaining your business.
  3. Shifting your mindset about value and time is crucial. It's about delivering impact, not just billing hours, and you can charge for the value you bring.

10 Years of Solo Consulting (Part 2)

burkhardstubert • 79 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
💼 Business Consulting Pricing Strategy Career Entrepreneurship
  1. It's important to charge more for strategic advice compared to implementation work. Clients often don't realize the value they get from your expertise, so it's beneficial to price according to the value you create.
  2. Using productized services can save time and increase income. These services combine a standard product with a small amount of customization for each client, allowing you to charge more consistently.
  3. Setting your own payment terms can lead to better cash flow and less hassle. By charging clients upfront or setting clear rules about payments, you can avoid the stress of late payments and complicated contracts.

How to turn those Big Ideas of yours into reality

The Ask Newsletter — by Ellen Donnelly • 15 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Coaching Leadership Strategy Personal Development
  1. First, be clear about your ideas. Take time to visualize what you really want to achieve. Use your imagination to paint a detailed picture of your goals and dreams for your business.
  2. Next, don’t aim for perfection. Expect challenges and be flexible with your plans. Accept that things might not go as perfectly as you hoped, and that's okay; it can lead to new opportunities.
  3. Lastly, stay committed to your vision. Keep pushing through obstacles, reflect on your progress regularly, and seek support from others. Remember, it's important to adapt and keep moving forward, even if it's just a little bit at a time.

Dev-Led Landscape: Transforming a Middle-Aged Startup

Tyler’s Musings • 5 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
💼 Business Leadership Strategy Marketing Startup Technology
  1. Establish regular meetings and routines in your company. This creates predictability and keeps everyone aligned on goals.
  2. Transparency is key. Share important information openly with everyone in your organization to build trust and keep everyone informed.
  3. Always analyze your customer's needs and market trends. Understand who your customers are and how to best serve them to stay competitive.

WOData: CrossFit Open 24.2

Austin's Analects • 19 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🎾 Sports Fitness Strategy Analysis Training Performance
  1. The author shares their strategy and analysis for CrossFit Open Workout 24.2, achieving a high score and feeling proud of their performance.
  2. The workout consists of a 20-minute AMRAP involving rowing, deadlifts, and double-unders, with the author focusing on efficient transitions and pacing throughout the routine.
  3. By analyzing their execution in terms of time per round, movement, and transitions, the author reflects on areas where they excelled and areas for potential improvement, like quicker transitions for better performance.

Preventive decisions are underrated

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 39 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
💼 Business Leadership Strategy Management Organizations Technology
  1. Preventive decisions are often overlooked but can save a lot of trouble later. It's better to act early to avoid bigger problems in the future.
  2. Building and maintaining strong relationships with your team or board is essential for effective leadership. Good communication can prevent misunderstandings and conflicts.
  3. Learning from the experiences of companies like OpenAI can provide valuable insights into making better strategic decisions. Watching their ups and downs can teach important lessons for everyone in business.

4 reasons why PMs and UXR should understand business strategy

Askwhy: UX Research, Product Management, Design & Careers • 50 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Strategy Product Development Decision-making Competitive Analysis
  1. Understanding business strategy helps drive alignment and focus, ensuring products contribute to company goals and avoiding feature creep.
  2. Knowing consumer trends, markets, and competitive landscape aids in developing relevant products and making informed decisions to stay competitive.
  3. Engaging with business strategy leads to better decision-making through frameworks like second-order thinking and inversion, fostering alignment within the organization.

Navigating the Turbulence of Modular Strategy, Innovation, and Quality Control at Boeing

Gad’s Newsletter • 61 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💼 Business Strategy Quality control Innovation Outsourcing
  1. Boeing's quality and safety issues are influenced by a culture prioritizing speed over quality.
  2. Poor supplier management practices contributed to Boeing's recent quality problems.
  3. Boeing's focus on short-term profits led to challenges with innovation, supplier management, and quality control.

The Difference Between Success & Failure: Good Hiring

The Green Techpreneur • 8 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Hiring Management Investment Strategy
  1. Having the right team is crucial for a company's success. It's not just about skills; it's about finding people who fit well together and share a common passion.
  2. Hiring based on experience alone can be misleading. It's more important to look for motivation and energy, as these qualities can drive real success.
  3. Every employee matters, no matter their role. When building a business, listen to everyone's input, as everyone contributes to the company's success.

The Gold Coin game

Infinitely More • 7 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Games Strategy Logic Philosophy Mathematics
  1. The Gold Coin game involves two players trying to get a valuable gold coin while moving other coins on a board. Players can either move a coin or take the leftmost coin in their turn.
  2. The game is strategic and requires understanding the best moves to win. Knowing winning moves can make the game easier to navigate.
  3. Practicing the game with a partner helps improve your skills and understanding of the rules, making it more enjoyable to play.

✅ Status report: artificial intelligence in public relations

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
💼 Business Public Relations Artificial Intelligence Management Digitalization Strategy
  1. Public relations is using AI mainly for testing new ideas, but there's a need for better tools and data management. Companies need to be more organized with their use of AI technology.
  2. AI can help create basic drafts but often lacks quality and can make mistakes. As AI gets better, the quality of its writing is improving.
  3. Jobs at the entry level may be at risk because AI can automate basic writing tasks. Skills like adaptability and managing relationships will be important for staying relevant in the industry.

Why CEOs are the very last job that AI will replace

The Future of Life • 19 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Strategy Value Creation Corporate Governance
  1. CEOs are more than just financial managers; they serve as agents of the owners and have a broad range of responsibilities. Their main job is to implement the company's mission and make key value judgments that drive the business's success.
  2. AI may become very smart, but it can't replace the human ability to make complex value judgments. For example, deciding which products align with a company's values requires deep understanding and insight that AI doesn't have.
  3. Maximizing profits is not just about cutting costs; it's about pursuing a clear mission. Just like individuals find success by following their goals, businesses need a strong mission to guide their decisions.

How to find your own best practices

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Management Strategy Innovation Best Practices Organizational development
  1. Look for best practices inside your own organization first. You've already tested these ideas, so you know they can work for you.
  2. Using what you already have saves you the trouble of making big changes or learning new systems.
  3. Finding internal best practices helps you build on your own successes instead of starting from scratch with outside ideas.

Engaging Your Staff to Drive Success

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
💼 Business Strategy Implementation Management Leadership
  1. Most strategies fail during implementation because the planning phase is fun, but putting plans into action is hard. Engaging staff is vital to convert plans into reality.
  2. Engaging staff before creating a strategy helps gather useful feedback and ideas. This can be done through surveys, townhalls, or one-on-one conversations.
  3. After a strategy is made, leaders should support staff by explaining how it benefits them personally and providing the tools they need. Keeping changes simple helps everyone adapt better.