blue-ocean-strategy
Note: This skill is independent analysis and commentary, not a reproduction of the original text. It synthesizes the book's core ideas with modern startup practice, surfaces where frameworks are outdated or incomplete, and integrates perspectives from adjacent disciplines. For the full argument and context, read the original book.
Blue Ocean Strategy
"How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant." - W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne (2005, expanded 2015)
When to Use
- Stuck in a commoditizing market
- Designing a new category
- Reframing competitive strategy
- Choosing between Porter-style positioning vs category creation
Use Porter when: industry structure is stable, defendable moats matter Use BOS when: you're trying to escape red-ocean dynamics They're complementary, not competing.
Honest Scope (Read First)
More from getagentseal/founder-playbook
100m-offers
Designs irresistible Grand Slam Offers using Alex Hormozi's value equation, obstacle-solution mapping, value-cost trim/stack, and offer-naming patterns. Use when fixing low conversion rates, packaging products, pricing services, designing high-converting offers, or when prospects browse but don't buy. Covers value stacking, guarantees, scarcity, urgency, and pricing psychology for validated markets.
63mom-test
Validates business ideas through customer conversations using Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test framework. Use when planning user interviews, getting product feedback, validating ideas, designing discovery questions, or extracting honest signal from biased customer responses. Covers good vs bad questions, deflecting compliments, anchoring fluff, pressing for commitment, and customer slicing.
60lean-startup
Applies Eric Ries's Lean Startup methodology for building products under extreme uncertainty. Use when iterating toward product/market fit, designing MVPs, deciding whether to pivot or persevere, setting up actionable metrics, or accelerating the Build-Measure-Learn loop. Triggers include 'how do we test this idea fast', 'what should our MVP look like', 'our metrics look good but we're not growing', 'should we pivot', 'we're building features no one uses', 'how do we measure validated learning', 'vanity metrics vs real metrics', 'how to do innovation accounting'. NOT for companies with proven product/market fit scaling a known playbook (use Crossing the Chasm), not for determining Market Type (use Four Steps), not for sales methodology (use SPIN Selling), not for pricing strategy (use Monetizing Innovation).
60100m-leads
Builds lead generation systems using Alex Hormozi's Core Four framework (warm outreach, content, cold outreach, paid ads), lead magnets, and Rule of 100. Use when designing customer acquisition, scaling advertising, choosing marketing channels for revenue stage, building referral programs, or fixing low lead flow. Covers lead magnets, LTGP:CAC math, More Better New scaling, and Lead Getters (referrals, employees, agencies, affiliates).
59traction
Applies the Bullseye Framework from Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares. Use when choosing growth channels, testing customer acquisition strategies, or deciding where to spend marketing effort. Covers all 19 traction channels with selection methodology, testing protocol, and phase-matched channel advice. Triggers include 'how do we get customers', 'which marketing channel should we use', 'we have a product but no users', 'our growth has stalled', 'should we do content marketing or paid ads', 'how do we test traction channels', 'what channels work at our stage'. NOT for product development (use Lean Startup), not for positioning/messaging (use Obviously Awesome), not for pricing (use Monetizing Innovation), not for enterprise sales methodology (use SPIN Selling).
58storybrand
Applies the StoryBrand SB7 Framework from Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. Use when writing website copy, crafting brand messaging, creating marketing materials, building sales funnels, or designing email campaigns. The SB7 Framework positions the customer as the hero and the brand as the guide across 7 story elements. Triggers include 'how should we write our website', 'our messaging is confusing', 'customers don't understand what we do', 'how do I write a tagline', 'what should our homepage say', 'nobody reads our emails', 'how do I create a lead generator', 'our marketing isn't working but our product is good'. NOT for growth channel selection (use Traction), not for product positioning against competitors (use Obviously Awesome), not for pricing (use Monetizing Innovation).
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