The hottest Strategy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Are Your Grand Challenge Strategies Robust?

Under the Hood: The Power of Principled Leadership • 39 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
💼 Business Strategy Leadership Management Organizations Sustainability
  1. Developing a participatory architecture is crucial for addressing grand challenges
  2. Fostering multivocal inscription allows for diverse interpretations and engagement in addressing grand challenges
  3. Engaging in distributed experimentation helps in generating small wins and promoting continuous learning while addressing grand challenges
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Drivers of success

Tech and Thoughts • 2 HN points • 31 Jul 24
💼 Business Management Strategy Operations Leadership Efficiency
  1. Good communication is really important for success. It helps everyone understand each other and work better together.
  2. Having the right information and logistics is key. When things are organized and everyone has the info they need, success comes more easily.
  3. Competence matters, but it shouldn't overshadow other factors like communication and logistics. Balancing all these elements leads to better results.

Why won't they give us the resources?

Sunday Letters • 159 implied HN points • 12 Jun 22
💼 Business Management Finance Strategy Product Development Market Analysis
  1. Deciding when to invest in new projects is tricky for companies because they need to balance costs and benefits. Too much spending too quickly can lead to financial problems.
  2. Finance teams focus on overall company health, like cash flow and profit margins. If a new project risks the company's profitability, they might hesitate to fund it.
  3. To get funding for new ideas, it's helpful to understand the financial risks and show how the project can improve profit margins. Developing strategies to lower risks can increase chances of approval.

Building Codiga: What Tools and Tech Stack for your Startup?

Tech Ramblings • 39 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
💼 Business Startups Tools Tech Management Strategy
  1. Choose user-friendly tools like Google Workspace and Metabase for your startup. They save time and are easy for your team to use.
  2. Avoid trendy or expensive tools that complicate things and come with a steep learning curve. Stick to popular, reliable options that your team can easily adapt to.
  3. Use programming languages and frameworks that many developers know. This helps you find talent faster and keeps your focus on building your product instead of learning new tech.

Oxford Nanopore - Baseless Rumors

ASeq Newsletter • 36 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Rumors Layoffs Strategy Management Technology
  1. Rumors about layoffs and nepotism at Oxford Nanopore are circulating, potentially impacting the company's share price.
  2. The company's delayed announcement of layoffs raises questions, with some seeing it as a strategic move and others as a demotivational tactic for employees.
  3. The overall strategy of Oxford Nanopore is being called into question, with suggestions that changes may be needed for the company to succeed.

📐 How to format a marketing message to achieve the desired goals

Business & Marketing with Nika • 1 HN point • 18 Aug 24
💼 Business Marketing Advertising Communication Design Strategy
  1. Put the most important information first. People remember the first things they read really well.
  2. Keep your message simple by focusing on one main element. This helps it stand out more.
  3. Make your content easy to scan. People usually look from the top left to the bottom right, so arrange your information in that order.

Insights from the Research Community: Plans for 2024 and Strategies for Implementation

Askwhy: UX Research, Product Management, Design & Careers • 33 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Research Implementation Planning Strategy Product Management
  1. Avoid unnecessary research by understanding when it's not appropriate, like for problem-solving issues instead of validation.
  2. Prevent overcommitting by scoping projects well, building in time buffers, and looking at historical data to manage workload effectively.
  3. Enhance visibility for your UX research work by selecting the right method for your audience, sharing updates in product meetings, and knowing your stakeholders.

How TPM Bridge Communication Gaps Between Tech and Non-Tech Teams

Building Rome(s) • 5 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
💼 Business Management Communication Collaboration Strategy Development
  1. Technical and non-technical teams often struggle because they don't share a common language. Clear communication is essential for collaboration.
  2. Using the 'Triangle of Translation' (Time, Money, Impact) can help bridge the communication gap. It allows teams to understand each other's priorities better.
  3. Focusing on clarity and empathy in discussions leads to better teamwork and improved product delivery. When everyone speaks the same language, trust is built.

Setting a team vision, mission, and strategy

Elevate • 19 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
💼 Business Leadership Mission Strategy
  1. Having a clear team vision, mission, and strategy is crucial for guiding the team towards success.
  2. A vision or mission statement provides direction to team members and helps them navigate forward effectively.
  3. A comprehensive mission statement should also include the strategies required to achieve the stated mission.

The Blog Post That Shocked the World

{grow} by Mark Schaefer • 19 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing Content Economics Strategy Personal Branding
  1. Content Shock: The world of content marketing became saturated with competition, making it harder and more expensive to stand out.
  2. Spiky Content: Creating bold, unique content with a strong point of view can help cut through the noise and grab attention.
  3. Personal Branding: Focusing on building a personal connection with your audience can be a powerful strategy to navigate and succeed in a world overwhelmed by content.

The most popular Growth Needle posts of 2023

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
💼 Business Strategy Marketing Innovation Economics Leadership
  1. Sears was really good at coming up with new ideas, but they missed their chance to keep changing with the times. They adapted once with mail orders and again with retail stores, but failed to innovate again.
  2. It's important to recognize your business identity and continuously adapt to stay relevant in the market. Sometimes, companies have everything they need to succeed but don't make the right moves.
  3. Learning from the past, like the story of Sears, can help guide future strategies. Businesses should not just rest on their accomplishments but keep pushing forward.

Sneaky strategies

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 59 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
💼 Business Public Sector Innovation Data Protection Big Tech Strategy
  1. It's important for innovation to understand and accept uncertainty, especially in public sector work. When organizations ignore not-knowing, they hinder their ability to create new solutions.
  2. Many critical problems in the public sector are complex and difficult to tackle, so innovation is crucial. However, there are obstacles that make it hard for these organizations to embrace uncertainty.
  3. Using creative, low-key tactics can help public sector organizations overcome barriers to innovation. These 'sneaky strategies' can effectively introduce new ways of thinking about challenges.

Human mRNA

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 39 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
💼 Business Innovation Management Organizational Culture Networking Strategy
  1. Human mRNA refers to people who connect different groups or teams within an organization. They help share important information that would otherwise stay hidden.
  2. These connectors are valuable because they can translate information between different teams, making it more useful for everyone. This translation helps ideas flow across contexts that may not usually interact.
  3. Encouraging this type of work is important for innovation. Companies should recognize and support these human connectors to help bridge gaps and foster creative solutions.

NATO ascendant

Model Thinking • 39 implied HN points • 22 Jan 23
🌍 World Politics Military Alliances Warfare Economics Strategy
  1. NATO's support for Ukraine during the war against Russia is crucial for Ukrainian victory
  2. A model using Cobb-Douglas production function estimates Western support needed at maximum Russian mobilization to achieve objectives
  3. The model suggests Russian victory in Ukraine is highly unlikely, with NATO likely able to finance Ukrainian victory or stalemate at current front lines

Desire isn't a strategy

Sunday Letters • 139 implied HN points • 13 Mar 22
💼 Business Strategy Organization Success Goals Technology
  1. Desire alone is not a strategy; it lacks specific actions and directions. A clear strategy needs to tell you what steps to take and what to avoid.
  2. Many people confuse goals with strategies. Goals like 'getting rich' are vague, while a strategy like 'specializing in field X' is more actionable.
  3. Successful companies have clear strategies that guide their actions and decisions. If a plan doesn’t outline specific tactics, it’s probably just a wish rather than a real strategy.

✅ Monday briefing: Horizon scanning and strategy

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
💼 Business Management Strategy Public Relations Media Technology
  1. Organizations should use the Three Horizons tool to plan for the future. It helps to identify current issues and predict upcoming trends.
  2. Public trust in police is at an all-time low. There are calls for the police to focus more on community issues and rebuild that trust.
  3. AI technology is growing, but many people still haven't tried it. Concerns also exist about the content generated by AI, which is sometimes seen as lacking quality.

Your job as a CEO: Communicate a Vision

Tech Ramblings • 59 implied HN points • 05 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership Entrepreneurship Marketing Strategy Sustainability
  1. As a CEO, one of your main jobs is to clearly communicate your vision. This helps inspire your team and attract customers who believe in your goals.
  2. A strong vision is important both inside your company and outside. It helps hire committed employees and serves as a marketing tool for your brand.
  3. Patagonia's founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a great example of someone who communicates a clear and responsible vision. His focus on sustainability has built a loyal customer base that values the brand's mission.

The Shift to Account-Driven GTM

MKT1 Newsletter • 4 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
💼 Business Marketing Sales Strategy Startups Data
  1. Companies need to switch to an account-driven approach for marketing and sales. This means focusing on specific accounts instead of just waiting for leads to come in.
  2. New tools now let marketers understand their entire audience better. They can gather more data on accounts, allowing for more tailored outreach and personalized content.
  3. This shift requires teamwork across departments like marketing, sales, and customer success. Everyone has to work together to effectively target and engage with chosen accounts.

How to feel more certain in your strategic decisions

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
💼 Business Strategy Decision-making Leadership Management Risk Assessment
  1. Look at past examples to help understand new situations. Historical contexts can give insights that make tough decisions easier.
  2. Adjust the reward system to make the risks of wrong decisions feel less daunting. This allows for more exploration without the fear of huge penalties.
  3. Use anonymous voting to find out what people really think. This can reveal hidden concerns that might not come up in open discussions.

Building Codiga: Resilience

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
💼 Business Startups Leadership Entrepreneurship Management Strategy
  1. Facing tough truths is important while keeping hope for success alive. You need both to survive in the startup world.
  2. Starting a business is often harder and longer than many expect. It’s crucial to avoid overconfidence and stay realistic about your journey.
  3. Even with challenges, dedication to improving your product and business model is key. Staying focused and prepared can lead to eventual success.

Unlocking the Power of Freemium

Platform Papers • 19 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
💼 Business Marketing Economics Technology Research Strategy
  1. Freemium apps can boost sales of their paid versions by providing a sample for users to try before committing to a purchase.
  2. The availability of a free version can improve the discoverability of a paid app, especially in categories with a smaller number of apps.
  3. When designing freemium apps, developers should carefully balance free and premium features to ensure there is a significant difference to motivate users to upgrade.

[P] HSY: Succession Alternatives

Nongaap Investing • 5 implied HN points • 18 Jan 25
💼 Business Investing Finance Corporate Management Strategy
  1. Hershey is considering different options for leadership succession. It's important for companies to have a plan for who will lead them in the future.
  2. The article shares insights on evaluating these succession options at Hershey. Understanding different leadership paths can help the company maintain stability.
  3. Having a clear succession plan can also help reassure investors and employees. It's crucial for the company's ongoing success and growth.

Q3 2023 Investor Update

Boxcar Joe's Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
💼 Business Technology Financials Growth Strategy
  1. Boxcar's revenue is growing by 75% in Q3 2023 compared to Q3 2022, with expected growth of 100% by the end of 2023.
  2. In Q3, Boxcar upgraded its technology with two-way SMS capabilities, leading to improved customer interaction and engagement.
  3. The company's financials show positive trends, with increasing total bookings, membership revenue, and parking business expanding.

How to level your strategic thinking this week

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
💼 Business Strategy Management Leadership Growth Frameworks
  1. The Straight Line Framework helps you keep focus when working toward big goals, showing that paths can be curvy but still lead to your destination.
  2. The Undercurrent Framework is useful when you're unsure about the future, helping you to explore underlying emotions and trends.
  3. The Identity Shift Framework encourages you to change your perspective or approach, allowing you to find new solutions to problems.

Pregnancy, non-linear optical computing, and open business model strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 8 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
💼 Business Strategy Economics Demographics Technology Policy
  1. Countries with aging populations are trying to boost birth rates but often overlook the real-life choices and challenges that people face. Understanding psychology and behavior can help shape better strategies for families.
  2. Many individuals feel pressured about starting families due to career concerns. Now, some are even planning pregnancies to align with job stability needs.
  3. Good strategists realize that issues related to family planning are global and not limited to just one country, highlighting a broader trend in society.

MKT1 Guide to Ecosystem Marketing

MKT1 Newsletter • 8 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
💼 Business Marketing Partnerships Strategy Growth Startups
  1. Ecosystem marketing is a great way to boost growth as other marketing methods like inbound and outbound are becoming less effective. By partnering with the right people, you can reach more potential customers.
  2. It's important to focus on the right partners who have a strong overlap with your target audience. A smaller partner with a dedicated audience may provide better results than a large partner with a less relevant audience.
  3. Creating value is key in partnerships. The best relationships benefit everyone involved, including your company, your partner, and your customers, so ensure that all parties gain from working together.

Messiness can be a huge moat

Brick by Brick • 9 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
💼 Business Strategy Technology Healthcare Market Analysis Innovation
  1. Handling messy problems can give companies a big edge over competitors. When a company can simplify and control messy situations, it sets itself apart.
  2. Epic Systems shows how complex integrations create strong barriers for rivals in the healthcare tech space. Their custom solutions make it hard for new players to catch up.
  3. Over years of effort, companies like Epic build extensive networks, making their systems deeply embedded in the industry. This complexity becomes a valuable moat that is tough to replicate.

Only the paranoid survive

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
💼 Business Management Strategy Startups Competition Finance
  1. Always be aware of your competition, but don't obsess over them. Check in from time to time to learn and adjust, but your main decisions should come from your own vision.
  2. Prepare for tough times by planning for unexpected challenges. Budget more than you think you'll need and set realistic goals to avoid panic later.
  3. Think ahead about employee turnover and customer commitments. People and situations change often, so it's smart to expect the unexpected and have a plan in place.