Better, Simpler Strategy

Gleaned from his popular strategy course – and widely considered one of the most important works of strategy in 2021 – Harvard business professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee offers a must-read for making better strategic decisions. 

His key insight rests in emphasizing strategic simplicity. Most firms muddle along. Great firms differentiate by maximizing customers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for products and services, while minimizing the price at which suppliers and employees will be willing to sell their services (WTS). In between lies value, including margin and profits. No strategy, says Oberholzer-Gee, should permit efforts that don’t increase WTP or decrease WTS.