Strip Strategy Down to What Matters with the 4 Points Strategy
Your current strategy is likely just a high-priced smoke screen designed to hide the fact that nobody actually has. They're bloated with buzzwords, 'key pillars,' and 50 slides of filler that mean absolutely nothing to a real customer. If you can’t explain your plan to a tired person in a bar in thirty seconds, you don't have a strategy; you have a homework assignment. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is the industrial-strength filter you need to strip away the corporate fan-fiction and find the one sharp edge that actually cuts through the noise. It’s four points. If you need a fifth, you’re probably overcomplicating things because you’re scared of being wrong. This is for the strategist who is tired of the fluff and wants a direction that actually moves the needle.
The TL;DR
Stop hiding behind 60-page decks. Identify the human mess (Problem), the uncomfortable truth (Insight), your one actual weapon (Advantage), and the singular battle plan (Strategy) that ties them together before your budget runs out.
Why This Stops Your Strategy From Being Total Garbage
Most strategies fail because they're too polite. This framework forces you to be honest, which is usually painful but always more effective than 'synergy.'
PROBLEM
Don't give me 'low market share.' That's a you 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 you 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 a lack of your product (narcissistic much?)
- ×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 social media'
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it feels 'too negative' or 'unprofessional'
- ×Making the Strategy so vague it could apply to your competitors too
- ×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
Strategy is about sacrifice. If you aren't leaving 'good' ideas on the floor, you aren't doing the work.
Real Examples
B2B Productivity SaaS
A project management tool trying to stand out in a world of Trello clones.
PROBLEM
Employees feel like they're being micromanaged by their software, not helped by it.
INSIGHT
People don't want to be 'optimized'; they want to look busy while doing the bare minimum required to not get fired.
ADVANTAGE
An 'Automated Status' feature that makes you look active while you're actually taking a nap or walking the dog.
STRATEGY
Position the tool as the 'Corporate Camouflage' that protects workers from the gaze of over-eager managers.
PROBLEM
Employees feel like they're being micromanaged by their software, not helped by it.
INSIGHT
People don't want to be 'optimized'; they want to look busy while doing the bare minimum required to not get fired.
ADVANTAGE
An 'Automated Status' feature that makes you look active while you're actually taking a nap or walking the dog.
STRATEGY
Position the tool as the 'Corporate Camouflage' that protects workers from the gaze of over-eager managers.
High-End Coffee Subscription
Competing against cheap supermarket beans and snobby local roasters.
PROBLEM
Coffee lovers feel like they're failing a test every time they try to buy 'good' beans.
INSIGHT
They don't actually care about 'tasting notes' of stone fruit; they just want to stop feeling like an idiot in front of a barista.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Jargon-Free' rating system that categorizes coffee by 'Vibe' rather than 'Elevation and Soil Type.'
STRATEGY
Become the 'Snob-Proof' gateway to luxury coffee by mocking the pretension of the industry.
PROBLEM
Coffee lovers feel like they're failing a test every time they try to buy 'good' beans.
INSIGHT
They don't actually care about 'tasting notes' of stone fruit; they just want to stop feeling like an idiot in front of a barista.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Jargon-Free' rating system that categorizes coffee by 'Vibe' rather than 'Elevation and Soil Type.'
STRATEGY
Become the 'Snob-Proof' gateway to luxury coffee by mocking the pretension of the industry.
Local Boutique Gym
A small gym struggling to compete with the convenience of Peloton.
PROBLEM
People are lonely and unmotivated in their basements but terrified of 'gym-bro' culture.
INSIGHT
The motivation isn't 'fitness' - it's the fear of being the only person who didn't show up to the group chat.
ADVANTAGE
A mandatory 'Squad' system where your membership is discounted if your whole group shows up.
STRATEGY
Weaponize social guilt to turn exercise from a chore into a non-negotiable social obligation.
PROBLEM
People are lonely and unmotivated in their basements but terrified of 'gym-bro' culture.
INSIGHT
The motivation isn't 'fitness' - it's the fear of being the only person who didn't show up to the group chat.
ADVANTAGE
A mandatory 'Squad' system where your membership is discounted if your whole group shows up.
STRATEGY
Weaponize social guilt to turn exercise from a chore into a non-negotiable social obligation.
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. Focus is a choice, not a list.
What if my Advantage is just 'we're cheaper'?
Then your strategy is 'Race to the Bottom.' If that's the case, own it, but don't try to wrap it in fancy language. Just be the cheapest and stop pretending you're 'disrupting' anything.
How do I know if my Insight is actually an Insight?
If you say it out loud and everyone in the room looks a little uncomfortable or goes 'Oof, yeah, that's true,' you've got one. If they just nod politely, it's a boring 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. One is a marching order; the other is a decoration.
Why is this better than a 50-slide deck?
Because nobody reads 50-slide decks, and the people who write them are usually just trying to justify their day rate. Four points force you to actually think instead of just typing.
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