Fix Unused Strategy with the 4 Points Strategy
Fixing unused strategy feels like performing a forensic autopsy on those 100-slide PDFs that died from a lethal dose of corporate indifference. They’re bloated, boring, and usually written to appease a committee rather than to actually win. If your current strategy is gathering digital dust, it's because it’s too vague to be useful and too 'corporate' to be remembered. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is the tactical defibrillator you need. It strips away the 80-slide hallucinations and forces you to find the one sharp point that actually pierces the market. If you can't fit your plan into these four boxes, you don't have a strategy; you have a very expensive collection of wishes.
The TL;DR
Stop writing strategies that nobody reads. Use the 4 Points Framework to identify the real human friction (Problem), the uncomfortable truth (Insight), your actual weapon (Advantage), and the singular marching order (Strategy) that turns a dead deck into a live threat.
Why This Stops Your Strategy From Being a Total Paperweight
Strategies go unused because they are too polite and too complicated. This framework is neither. It forces clarity by making you choose one fight and one weapon.
PROBLEM
Don't give me 'market share decline.' That's a spreadsheet problem. What is the friction in the customer's life? Are they feeling like a fraud? Are they exhausted by choices? If there’s no human tension, your strategy is just a list of things you want.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s the 'why' behind the 'what.' It should feel a bit like you're reading their diary. If the insight doesn't make the room go quiet for a second, it's just a boring fact.
ADVANTAGE
Stop lying. Is your product actually better, or are you just louder? Your Advantage is the specific tool that solves the Problem. If it's 'innovation' or 'quality,' go back to the drawing board and find something real.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It’s a singular, aggressive sentence that connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage. 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 'market share decline.' That's a spreadsheet problem. What is the friction in the customer's life? Are they feeling like a fraud? Are they exhausted by choices? If there’s no human tension, your strategy is just a list of things you want.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s the 'why' behind the 'what.' It should feel a bit like you're reading their diary. If the insight doesn't make the room go quiet for a second, it's just a boring fact.
ADVANTAGE
Stop lying. Is your product actually better, or are you just louder? Your Advantage is the specific tool that solves the Problem. If it's 'innovation' or 'quality,' go back to the drawing board and find something real.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It’s a singular, aggressive sentence that connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage. 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 keep your strategy in the trash bin)
- ×Defining the 'Problem' as 'people aren't buying enough of our crap.'
- ×Confusing an 'Insight' with a 'Data Point' (e.g., '70% of people use mobile' is not an insight).
- ×Claiming your 'Advantage' is 'customer service' (everybody says this; it's rarely true).
- ×Writing a 'Strategy' that is just a list of tactics like 'do more TikToks.'
- ×Making the Strategy so vague it could apply to your competitor just as easily.
- ×Trying to solve three human problems at once because you're afraid to commit.
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it feels 'unprofessional' or 'too emotional.'
- ×Treating the four points as separate silos instead of a connected chain of logic.
Strategy is about sacrifice. If you aren't leaving 'good' ideas on the floor to focus on the 'great' one, you're just making a to-do list.
Real Examples
B2B SaaS - Productivity Tool
Fixing a strategy for a tool that's being ignored for 'free' alternatives.
PROBLEM
Middle managers feel like they are drowning in 'work about work' rather than actually leading.
INSIGHT
They secretly resent productivity tools because every new 'solution' just feels like another inbox they have to manage.
ADVANTAGE
An 'Auto-Pilot' feature that deletes low-value meetings and tasks without human intervention.
STRATEGY
Position the tool as the 'Corporate Assassin' that kills bureaucracy instead of just organizing it.
PROBLEM
Middle managers feel like they are drowning in 'work about work' rather than actually leading.
INSIGHT
They secretly resent productivity tools because every new 'solution' just feels like another inbox they have to manage.
ADVANTAGE
An 'Auto-Pilot' feature that deletes low-value meetings and tasks without human intervention.
STRATEGY
Position the tool as the 'Corporate Assassin' that kills bureaucracy instead of just organizing it.
Consumer FinTech
Reviving a generic 'save money' app strategy.
PROBLEM
Gen Z adults feel a paralyzing guilt every time they spend money on anything that isn't a bill.
INSIGHT
They don't want a budget; they want permission to enjoy their lives without feeling like they're ruining their future.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Guilt-Free' sub-account that automatically calculates exactly how much 'fun money' is safe to blow.
STRATEGY
Transform the app from a 'Financial Warden' into a 'Permission Slip' for reckless-but-safe spending.
PROBLEM
Gen Z adults feel a paralyzing guilt every time they spend money on anything that isn't a bill.
INSIGHT
They don't want a budget; they want permission to enjoy their lives without feeling like they're ruining their future.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Guilt-Free' sub-account that automatically calculates exactly how much 'fun money' is safe to blow.
STRATEGY
Transform the app from a 'Financial Warden' into a 'Permission Slip' for reckless-but-safe spending.
High-End Coffee Roaster
Fixing a strategy for a brand losing to cheap convenience pods.
PROBLEM
Remote workers feel like their days have become a blurred, featureless slog of Slack pings.
INSIGHT
The morning coffee isn't about caffeine; it's the only 5 minutes of the day they actually own for themselves.
ADVANTAGE
A ritual-focused brewing kit that requires a specific, sensory-heavy 4-minute process.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Sacred Morning Border' by making the complexity of the brew the main selling point.
PROBLEM
Remote workers feel like their days have become a blurred, featureless slog of Slack pings.
INSIGHT
The morning coffee isn't about caffeine; it's the only 5 minutes of the day they actually own for themselves.
ADVANTAGE
A ritual-focused brewing kit that requires a specific, sensory-heavy 4-minute process.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Sacred Morning Border' by making the complexity of the brew the main selling point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my team keep ignoring my strategy decks?
Because they're probably boring and contain zero actionable trade-offs. If your strategy doesn't tell them what *not* to do, it's not a strategy; it's a suggestion.
Can I have two Problems if they're both massive?
No. Pick the one that’s actually the root cause. Solving two problems usually means you'll solve neither. Focus is a requirement, not a suggestion.
What if my 'Advantage' is just that we're cheaper?
Then your strategy is a 'Price War.' Own it. Don't try to dress it up in 'premium experience' fluff. Be the cheapest and be brutal about it.
How do I know if my Insight is 'uncomfortable' enough?
If you present it and someone says, 'Should we really be saying that out loud?', you've found a winner. If they just nod, it's a boring fact.
Is the 'Strategy' just a creative tagline?
God, no. The Strategy is the logic that dictates everything from product features to media spend. The tagline is just the pretty ribbon you put on the box later.
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