How i start every strategy project
Dogmas in strategy can go die a death. I said it. And i meant it. The issue with dogmas is they create a false sense of control. You try and fit the world into a worldview, and to hell if it doesn't.
But that's not how it works. There's context. And there's always context you're not aware of. You're not the only smart cookie in town.
When working on a strategy project, remember what Epictetus said:
"The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own."
More than solving problems or spotting opportunities, this is a more useful definition of strategy.
Knowing what you can control. And then acting on it with ruthless intention.
Can't change the product? Nail the brand. Can't change the brand? Nail the comms idea. Can't change the idea? Nail the execution.
This isn't about being defeatist. It's about being pragmatic. We do what we can with what we're given. That's how complex systems work.
We're raised on the idea that strategy dictates resources. But often, resources dictate strategy. So always ask yourself:
What's in my control?
What's outside my control?
All your choices follow from there.
