Fix Strategy That Sounds Right with the 4 Points Strategy

    Strategy mostly sounds 'right' because it's filled with safe, professional-sounding words like 'synergy,' 'omnichannel,' and 'best-in-class. ' But 'sounding right' is usually a symptom of having absolutely nothing to say. If your strategy could be used by your competitor without changing a single word, it’s not a strategy - it’s a generic hallucination. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is the industrial-strength reality check you need to stop the fluff. It forces you to stop hiding behind 60 slides of market research and find the one sharp, uncomfortable truth that actually changes how you play the game.

    Use-case guide•Updated 2025

    The TL;DR

    If your strategy is so polite it doesn't offend anyone, it’s useless. Use the 4 Points to swap 'corporate fan-fiction' for a singular, aggressive direction that actually solves a human problem instead of just filling a slide.

    Why This Stops Your Strategy From Being a Polished Turd

    Strategies that 'sound right' are built on consensus. Real strategy is built on sacrifice. This framework forces you to leave the 'safe' ideas on the cutting room floor.

    Exposes the 'Vagueness Trap'. You can't hide behind 'leveraging insights' when you only have one box for the strategy. It forces you to be specific or look stupid.
    Kills the 'Kitchen Sink' Strategy. Most 'right-sounding' strategies try to do everything. This framework demands you pick one problem and one advantage. No more hedging your bets.
    Prioritizes Human Tension over Data Points. Data is a security blanket for cowards. This framework focuses on the 'Problem' - the actual friction in a human's life - not just a dip in a spreadsheet.
    Forces a 'Non-Obvious' Advantage. If your advantage is 'quality,' this framework will show you how boring you are. It forces you to find a weapon that actually hurts the competition.
    Creates a Single Point of Failure. By boiling everything down to one 'Strategy' sentence, you finally have a plan you can actually test, rather than a cloud of 'key pillars' no one understands.

    PROBLEM

    Forget 'market penetration.' What is the specific, annoying, or painful thing happening in the customer's life? If you can't describe the problem without using business jargon, you don't understand the problem yet.

    INSIGHT

    This is the Insight. It’s not a 'finding' from a focus group; it’s the thing people do but don't want to admit. It’s the secret motivation. If the insight doesn't make the client a little nervous, it's probably just a fact.

    ADVANTAGE

    This is your Advantage. Not 'innovation' or 'passion.' Is it a specific feature, a weird piece of history, or a business model that makes your competitors' lives miserable? It has to be a real tool, not a corporate value.

    STRATEGY

    This is the Strategy. It’s the 'how.' It’s a single, aggressive sentence that connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage. If it's more than 15 words, you're still trying to 'sound right' instead of being right.

    How You'll Try to Make This 'Sound Right' (And Fail)
    Stop trying to be professional and start trying to be effective.

    • ×Writing a 'Strategy' that is just a list of three different things joined by 'and'.
    • ×Using the word 'empower' or 'leverage' anywhere in the framework.
    • ×Defining the Problem as 'we need more sales' (that's your problem, not the customer's).
    • ×Confusing an Insight with a demographic (e.g., 'Millennials like phones').
    • ×Claiming your Advantage is 'our people' (every company says this; it's a lie).
    • ×Making the Strategy so broad it doesn't actually exclude any possible tactics.
    • ×Treating the four points as separate silos instead of a connected logical chain.
    • ×Polishing the language until the 'teeth' of the idea are completely gone.

    If your completed framework doesn't make at least one person in the room uncomfortable, you’ve just written another strategy that 'sounds right' and does nothing.

    Real Examples

    Example 1

    Overpriced Skincare
    A luxury brand struggling with 'generic' premium positioning.

    PROBLEM

    Women feel like they are being scammed by a 12-step routine that takes 40 minutes and costs a mortgage payment.

    INSIGHT

    They secretly suspect that 'natural' ingredients do nothing, but they're terrified of the 'chemicals' that actually work.

    ADVANTAGE

    A clinical-grade formula that looks like it came from a lab, not a spa, with zero 'botanical' fluff.

    STRATEGY

    Position the brand as the 'Brutal Truth' in an industry of expensive fairy tales.

    Example 2

    Corporate Recruitment
    A boring insurance company trying to hire Gen Z tech talent.

    PROBLEM

    Tech talent views insurance as the place where 'careers go to die' in a sea of cubicles and beige walls.

    INSIGHT

    They aren't looking for 'purpose'; they're looking for the highest possible paycheck with the lowest possible amount of 'startup' chaos.

    ADVANTAGE

    A legacy pension fund and a 4-day work week that no 'disruptive' startup can afford to offer.

    STRATEGY

    Market the job as the 'High-Paid Boring Choice' for people who want a life outside of Slack.

    Example 3

    Budget Airlines
    A low-cost carrier facing a PR nightmare over 'hidden fees.'

    PROBLEM

    Travelers feel nickel-and-dimed and treated like cattle, leading to massive brand resentment.

    INSIGHT

    They hate the fees, but they hate 'missing out' on travel even more; they'll endure the pain if the destination is worth it.

    ADVANTAGE

    The most aggressive, 'unbundled' pricing model in the sky that makes a weekend in Ibiza cheaper than a train ticket.

    STRATEGY

    Own the 'No-Frills Villain' persona by explicitly trading dignity for the lowest price on earth.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What if my Strategy doesn't sound 'professional' enough for the board?

    Good. Professionalism is often just a mask for cowardice. If the board wants a deck that 'sounds right,' give them the generic one and watch them lose market share. If they want to win, show them the one that has an actual point of view.

    Can I use 'customer centricity' as my Advantage?

    Only if you want me to laugh in your face. Being 'customer centric' is the bare minimum for staying in business. It’s not an advantage; it’s a prerequisite. Find something you have that your competitors physically cannot copy.

    How do I know if my Problem is 'human' enough?

    If you can imagine a person complaining about it at a bar after three drinks, it’s a human problem. If it sounds like something from an annual report, it’s a business problem. Fix the human one to solve the business one.

    The Insight feels a bit mean. Should I soften it?

    No. Softening the insight is how you end up with a strategy that 'sounds right.' The best insights are the ones that make you say 'Oof, I do that.' If it’s not a bit uncomfortable, it’s not an insight.

    Why is the Strategy box so small?

    To keep you from rambling. If you can't fit your strategy into a single sentence, you don't have a strategy; you have a grocery list. Constraints are the only thing that will save you from your own fluff.

    Generate a Framework for your Product Launch Strategy

    Use our framework generator to generate various Get Who To By, 4C, 4 Points Strategy, and other frameworks — all in one place and directly to editable Google SLIDES!

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