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Let's talk strategy.

In this thread, I'll share with you the primary lessons from Richard Rumelt's book "Good Strategy / Bad Strategy."

If you lead strategy or product and haven't read Rumelt's book, this thread will be well worth your time.

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There's a big difference between "good" and "bad" strategy.

Good strategy takes many forms, but always includes at least 3 components:

• A diagnosis of the challenge
• A guiding policy to deal with the challenge
• A set of actions to enact the guiding policy

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Bad strategy is not simply the absence of good strategy.

Bad Strategy tends to skip over pesky details such as problems.

It ignores the power of choice and focus, trying instead to accommodate a multitude of conflicting demands and interests.

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Good strategy is unexpected.

The first natural advantage of good strategy arises because other organizations often don't have one.

And because they don't expect you to have one, either.

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Bad strategy usually comes with one or more of four major hallmarks:

• Fluff
• Failure to face the challenge
• Mistaking goals for strategy
• Bad strategic objectives

"Talking to customers is a superpower."

But nobody actually teaches how to do it.

The Mom Test by @robfitz is a priceless guide for how to talk to (and actually learn from!) customers.

Here's the blueprint to take to your next interview:

First rule of thumb: customer conversations are bad by default.

It's your job to fix them.

Use The Mom Test to make customer interviews better.

The Mom Test is a set of simple rules for crafting good questions that even your mom can't lie to you about.

For customer conversations to really matter, you need to ask questions that matter.

You need to search out the world-rocking scary questions you've been unintentionally shrinking from.

More specifically, make sure every meeting counts by planning your list of 3 big questions.

TWO THINGS YOU NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO

(Disclaimer: this is a subtweet. I am writing this entire thing to ONE person. But, it is also for you xx)

NUMBER ONE, YOUR INTUITION

Your subconscious mind has near infinite power and is calculating the product of billions of signals around you, and feeding you the answers via your gut.

(Literally! Your intuition will improve when your gut health does! Eat more KKM: Kimchi, Kombucha, Kefir!)

Personally, *every* single time I have ignored my intuition? I have ended up regretting it.

ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR INTUITION

Side Effect of High Testosterone:

Being more scared of failing your Mission, than Death.

You would rather Die and Complete The Mission

than Live and Fail The Mission

@corporatemach

Human Males evolved to do whatever it takes, up to and including sacrificing their own lives, for the sake of completing their Mission.

A seemingly ludicrous focus and commitment to completing the task at hand perplexes many people, especially Women.

The reason Human Males evolved to be this way is simple; it made them effective Hunters

Males who were incompetent Hunters were eliminated from the gene pool

Whether they starved to death, or Women considered them unattractive (thereby preventing them from reproducing), or because their children starved to death (due to a lack of meat to eat).