“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun Tsu, Art of War
The Art of Strategy: Introduction
Scaling Isn’t About Doing More. It’s About Achieving More by Doing What Matters Most.
Its easy to fall into the trap of scaling by doing more—more products, more customer segments, more markets. That’s a mistake. The truth is, great companies scale by doing less. By knowing which market segments, products, channels etc. to focus on, then ruthlessly focusing on just those, smart leaders scale without the drama.
A much younger Apple provides a great example. In 1997, they were on the brink of collapse. Bloated product lines, lack of focus, and internal chaos had nearly sunk the company. Then Steve Jobs returned. His first move? He slashed 70% of Apple’s product line and focused on a handful of high-potential innovations.
By focusing Apple’s cash, talent, and energy on its core strengths, Jobs didn’t just save the company—he set the stage for one of the greatest growth stories in business history. Apple’s success didn’t come from doing more, but on winning the small number of battles that really count. They strategically aligned Apple to where the market was going and positioned themselves to lead.
That’s what great strategy does — it’s about figuring out what not to do, so you can focus on what will drive business growth.
What This Blog Series Will Cover
Over the next few posts, we’ll break down the 10 Principles of Strategy: the essential rules for building a focused, winning strategy that enables sustainable business growth.
- This series will spotlight key insights on strategy from The Art Of Scale. Applying these principles and tools will help you to:
- Build a strategy that ensures long-term competitive advantage
- Define the right focus for your business so you stop chasing distractions
- Position yourself as the #1 choice in your market
Strap in and enjoy the ride! Most importantly, pressure test and clarify your strategy as we go. Use the Strategy Canvas as your template – see below).