Identify the Real Human Problem Using the 4 Points Strategy Framework
You think your 'Problem' is low market share or poor brand awareness, but those are your problems, not the customer’s. Real strategy starts when you stop looking at your spreadsheet and start looking at the messy, irrational, and often annoying human on the other side of the screen. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is a four-box reality check designed to strip away the corporate delusions and find the one human tension worth solving. If you can’t find the real human problem, you aren’t doing strategy; you’re just doing expensive math and hoping for a miracle.
The TL;DR
Stop solving business KPIs and start solving human friction. Use this framework to find the mess (Problem), the secret (Insight), the weapon (Advantage), and the singular battle cry (Strategy) that actually changes behavior.
Why This Stops Your Strategy From Being Total Garbage
Most strategies fail because they're too polite to tell the truth. This framework is an industrial-strength filter for the fluff that usually clogs up your marketing decks.
PROBLEM
Forget your sales targets. What is the annoying, scary, or boring thing happening in the customer's life? If there's no human tension - no 'get' - then there's no reason for your brand to exist in their world.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It's the secret motivation or the weird habit. If the insight doesn't make you feel like you've been eavesdropping on a private conversation, it’s probably just a boring fact. Find the 'why' behind the 'what.'
ADVANTAGE
This is the Advantage. It’s not your 'mission statement.' It’s the specific feature, legacy, or capability that makes the Problem go away. If your advantage is 'we care more,' go back to the drawing board; you're lying to yourself.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. One sentence that connects the friction, the truth, and the weapon into a marching order. If it’s longer than a tweet, you’re still rambling.
PROBLEM
Forget your sales targets. What is the annoying, scary, or boring thing happening in the customer's life? If there's no human tension - no 'get' - then there's no reason for your brand to exist in their world.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It's the secret motivation or the weird habit. If the insight doesn't make you feel like you've been eavesdropping on a private conversation, it’s probably just a boring fact. Find the 'why' behind the 'what.'
ADVANTAGE
This is the Advantage. It’s not your 'mission statement.' It’s the specific feature, legacy, or capability that makes the Problem go away. If your advantage is 'we care more,' go back to the drawing board; you're lying to yourself.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. One sentence that connects the friction, the truth, and the weapon into a marching order. If it’s longer than a tweet, you’re still rambling.
Ways You'll Probably Screw This Up
(And look like an amateur)
- ×Defining the Problem as 'The customer hasn't bought our product yet.'
- ×Confusing a demographic (Millennials) with an Insight (The fear of being basic).
- ×Claiming your Advantage is 'Innovation' when you're just selling a slightly different version of the same crap.
- ×Writing a Strategy that is just a list of tactics like 'Launch a TikTok filter.'
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it feels too 'negative' or unpolished for a corporate slide.
- ×Making the Strategy so vague that your competitors could use the exact same sentence.
- ×Failing to make the four points actually connect - they should read like a logical argument, not four random thoughts.
- ×Trying to solve three human problems at once because you're too scared to commit to one.
Strategy is the art of sacrifice. If you aren't leaving 'good' ideas on the floor to focus on the 'best' one, you're just making a mess.
Real Examples
High-End Coffee Subscription
Selling expensive beans to people who usually buy grocery store brands.
PROBLEM
People feel like their morning routine is a mindless, joyless chore rather than a moment for themselves.
INSIGHT
They secretly resent their job and use 'premium' small purchases as a way to feel like they still have control over their life.
ADVANTAGE
Direct-trade beans that arrive 48 hours after roasting, turning a kitchen into a high-end cafe.
STRATEGY
Position the coffee as the 'Five-Minute Daily Promotion' for the overworked professional.
PROBLEM
People feel like their morning routine is a mindless, joyless chore rather than a moment for themselves.
INSIGHT
They secretly resent their job and use 'premium' small purchases as a way to feel like they still have control over their life.
ADVANTAGE
Direct-trade beans that arrive 48 hours after roasting, turning a kitchen into a high-end cafe.
STRATEGY
Position the coffee as the 'Five-Minute Daily Promotion' for the overworked professional.
Cybersecurity for Small Biz
Convincing small business owners that 'it won't happen to me' is a lie.
PROBLEM
Business owners treat security like a 'later' problem because the technical jargon makes them feel stupid.
INSIGHT
They aren't afraid of hackers; they're afraid of looking incompetent in front of their employees and clients if things go south.
ADVANTAGE
A 'One-Click Recovery' system that prioritizes getting back to work over complex threat detection.
STRATEGY
Frame the software as 'Reputation Insurance' rather than a technical firewall.
PROBLEM
Business owners treat security like a 'later' problem because the technical jargon makes them feel stupid.
INSIGHT
They aren't afraid of hackers; they're afraid of looking incompetent in front of their employees and clients if things go south.
ADVANTAGE
A 'One-Click Recovery' system that prioritizes getting back to work over complex threat detection.
STRATEGY
Frame the software as 'Reputation Insurance' rather than a technical firewall.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies
Competing with 'chemical-heavy' giants by finding a new human angle.
PROBLEM
Parents feel a constant, nagging guilt that their 'clean' home is actually a toxic minefield for their kids.
INSIGHT
They don't actually care about 'the planet' as much as they care about the immediate health of the tiny humans crawling on their floors.
ADVANTAGE
A plant-based formula that is literally safe enough to eat (but please don't) without sacrificing cleaning power.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Safe-to-Crawl' territory in a market obsessed with 'industrial strength' sterilization.
PROBLEM
Parents feel a constant, nagging guilt that their 'clean' home is actually a toxic minefield for their kids.
INSIGHT
They don't actually care about 'the planet' as much as they care about the immediate health of the tiny humans crawling on their floors.
ADVANTAGE
A plant-based formula that is literally safe enough to eat (but please don't) without sacrificing cleaning power.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Safe-to-Crawl' territory in a market obsessed with 'industrial strength' sterilization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have two Problems if they're both really big?
No. Pick one. If you try to solve two human problems at once, you’ll end up with a strategy that’s as diluted as a cheap cocktail.
What if my Advantage is the same as my competitor's?
Then you don't have an advantage. You have a 'category entry requirement.' Go back and find something - anything - that makes you the only logical choice for your specific problem.
How do I know if my Insight is 'real'?
If it feels a little bit uncomfortable or 'too honest' to say in a board meeting, it’s probably a real insight. If it feels like a Hallmark card, it’s garbage.
Is the Strategy the same as the tagline?
Hard no. The Strategy is the logic for the marketing team. The tagline is the creative expression for the customer. Don't put your strategy on a billboard; it's meant to be the engine, not the paint job.
Why call it a 'Human Problem' instead of a 'Business Problem'?
Because businesses don't have problems; people do. If you solve the human's problem, the business's problem (like low sales) usually fixes itself. It's called empathy, look it up.
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