“Fatergy” – a term inspired over a glass with Rene Michau.
So what does that mean to us?
A well researched powerpoint deck. Endless ‘brainstorms’ and day long workshops. Diagrams of value-chains, competitive matrices and a large and alluring TAM. Pre-reads that are far from it. Always more, never less.
‘Fat strategy’ gives you security. A safety blanket which protects you and makes you think everything will be ok. The TAM is huge, and we’ve got product market fit. How do we know we are going to win? “That Strategy day of course.”
But ‘fat strategy’ misses something. Execution.
No matter the form in which it comes strategy is a defining choice. One that informs the execution. If the choice is clear, the deck is a tool for dissemination, not the choice itself.
Execution might only take 3 sharp bullets on one page, or at most something akin to the ‘Amazon 6 pager’.
‘Fat Strategy’ focuses on creation and not action. It implies more is better. But a strategy is only good if a choice is clear enough for everyone to action against it with unwavering focus.
Think you have a sharp strategy?
Ask everyone the market you choose to serve and the one you choose to ignore – how consistent are the answers?
