Bring Discipline to Strategy Discussions with the 4 Points Strategy
Stop pretending your strategy sessions are productive just because everyone nodded at a whiteboard for three hours. They’re undisciplined, bloated, and usually end with a 100-slide deck that nobody reads. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is the industrial-strength filter you need to kill the fluff and bring some actual order to the chaos. It’s four boxes. If you can’t fit your plan into four boxes, your plan is probably just a collection of expensive hallucinations. This isn't about being 'creative' in a beanbag chair; it’s about finding the one sharp point that actually pierces through the noise of a crowded, indifferent market.
The TL;DR
Stop the aimless yapping. Use four specific constraints - the human mess (Problem), the hidden truth (Insight), your actual weapon (Advantage), and the singular battle plan (Strategy) - to turn your chaotic brainstorming into a sharp, disciplined direction before your budget evaporates.
Why This Stops Your Strategy From Being Total Garbage
Most strategies fail because they're too polite and try to please everyone in the meeting. This framework forces you to be honest, which is usually painful but always more effective than another 'brainstorming' session.
PROBLEM
Don't give me 'low market share.' That's a business problem. What is the friction in the customer's life? Are they bored, scared, annoyed, or just trying to look cooler than their neighbor? If there's no human tension, there's no strategy.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s not a data point; it’s a 'why.' Why do they do the dumb things they do? What's the secret belief or behavior that drives their choices? If it doesn't make you feel a little bit like a creep for knowing it, it's probably not a real insight.
ADVANTAGE
This is where you stop lying to yourself. Is your product actually better, faster, or cheaper? Or do you have a legacy nobody can buy? If your advantage is 'innovation,' go back to the drawing board. It needs to be a specific tool that solves the Problem.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage into a single, aggressive sentence. It’s not a slogan; it’s a marching order. If it's more than 15 words, you're still rambling.
PROBLEM
Don't give me 'low market share.' That's a business problem. What is the friction in the customer's life? Are they bored, scared, annoyed, or just trying to look cooler than their neighbor? If there's no human tension, there's no strategy.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s not a data point; it’s a 'why.' Why do they do the dumb things they do? What's the secret belief or behavior that drives their choices? If it doesn't make you feel a little bit like a creep for knowing it, it's probably not a real insight.
ADVANTAGE
This is where you stop lying to yourself. Is your product actually better, faster, or cheaper? Or do you have a legacy nobody can buy? If your advantage is 'innovation,' go back to the drawing board. It needs to be a specific tool that solves the Problem.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage into a single, aggressive sentence. It’s not a slogan; it’s a marching order. If it's more than 15 words, you're still rambling.
Ways You'll Probably Screw This Up
(And look like an amateur)
- ×Defining the 'Problem' as 'people aren't buying enough of our crap.'
- ×Confusing an 'Insight' with a 'Fact' - Facts are boring; Insights have teeth.
- ×Claiming 'Customer Service' is a unique Advantage (it's not, everyone says it).
- ×Writing a 'Strategy' that is just a list of tactics like 'do more TikToks.'
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it feels 'too negative' for the brand guidelines.
- ×Making the Strategy so vague it could apply to your competitors, your mom, or a local bakery.
- ×Failing to connect the four points - they aren't independent silos, they're a chain.
- ×Trying to solve three problems at once because you're afraid to commit to a single direction.
Strategy is about sacrifice. If you aren't leaving 'good' ideas on the floor, you aren't doing the work.
Real Examples
Enterprise SaaS
A project management tool trying to survive in a market of bloated features.
PROBLEM
Teams are spending more time 'managing' the software than actually doing the work they're paid for.
INSIGHT
Project managers secretly hate the 'transparency' of these tools because it exposes how messy real work actually is before it's finished.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Ghost Mode' feature that allows for messy drafting before anything becomes 'official' or visible to the boss.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Safe Space for Messy Work' positioning to win over the managers who actually decide which tool to buy.
PROBLEM
Teams are spending more time 'managing' the software than actually doing the work they're paid for.
INSIGHT
Project managers secretly hate the 'transparency' of these tools because it exposes how messy real work actually is before it's finished.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Ghost Mode' feature that allows for messy drafting before anything becomes 'official' or visible to the boss.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Safe Space for Messy Work' positioning to win over the managers who actually decide which tool to buy.
High-End Coffee
A premium roaster competing with cheap supermarket brands and Starbucks.
PROBLEM
Coffee has become a mindless utility rather than a moment of quality.
INSIGHT
People who buy expensive beans don't just want caffeine; they want to feel like an 'expert' to justify the 20-minute brewing ritual.
ADVANTAGE
A subscription model that includes 'Roaster's Secret' micro-lots that aren't available anywhere else.
STRATEGY
Reposition the brand as an 'Exclusive Lab' for coffee obsessives rather than just another bag on a shelf.
PROBLEM
Coffee has become a mindless utility rather than a moment of quality.
INSIGHT
People who buy expensive beans don't just want caffeine; they want to feel like an 'expert' to justify the 20-minute brewing ritual.
ADVANTAGE
A subscription model that includes 'Roaster's Secret' micro-lots that aren't available anywhere else.
STRATEGY
Reposition the brand as an 'Exclusive Lab' for coffee obsessives rather than just another bag on a shelf.
Budget Airlines
A low-cost carrier trying to fix a reputation for being 'cheap and nasty.'
PROBLEM
Travelers feel like they are being punished for wanting to save money.
INSIGHT
They don't actually mind the lack of peanuts; they mind the feeling that the airline is actively trying to trick them with hidden fees.
ADVANTAGE
An 'All-In' pricing model that is still low but removes the 'gotcha' fees at the gate.
STRATEGY
Lead with 'Radical Honesty' to turn the 'cheap' label from a weakness into a badge of financial intelligence.
PROBLEM
Travelers feel like they are being punished for wanting to save money.
INSIGHT
They don't actually mind the lack of peanuts; they mind the feeling that the airline is actively trying to trick them with hidden fees.
ADVANTAGE
An 'All-In' pricing model that is still low but removes the 'gotcha' fees at the gate.
STRATEGY
Lead with 'Radical Honesty' to turn the 'cheap' label from a weakness into a badge of financial intelligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have two Problems if they're both really important?
No. Pick the one that’s actually costing you money. Trying to solve two problems is the fastest way to solve zero problems and confuse everyone.
What if my Advantage is just 'we're cheaper'?
Then your strategy is 'Race to the Bottom.' If that's the case, own it. Don't try to wrap it in fancy language like 'democratizing value.' Just be the cheapest.
How do I know if my Insight is actually an Insight?
If you say it out loud and everyone in the room goes 'Oof, yeah, that's true,' you've got one. If they just nod politely, it's a fact, not an insight.
Isn't the Strategy just the creative tagline?
Absolutely not. The Strategy is the logic. The tagline is the lipstick. You need the logic first or the lipstick is just going on a pig.
What if the team can't agree on the one 'Point'?
Then you don't have a strategy discussion; you have a committee. Someone needs to make a choice. Strategy is about choosing what NOT to do.
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