Strategy

Strategy is good

Strategy is really important.

Posts

Divinations

DALL·E 2 and The Origin of Vibe Shifts

By Means of Natural Selection

1 Apr 22, 2022 by Nathan Baschez

Divinations

The Psychology of Strategy

How to see what you aren't seeing

Feb 2, 2022 by Nathan Baschez

Napkin Math

3 Thoughts On Justworks

The newest SaaS company to hit the public markets

2 Jan 13, 2022 by Evan Armstrong

Napkin Math

Investing on Instinct

Why the best deals are done with no data at all

1 Dec 1, 2021 by Evan Armstrong

Napkin Math

How Do You Compete with Free?

Notion: The Embattled Artist

Nov 24, 2021 by Evan Armstrong

Masterful Storytelling

How Oatly Wins: Stories that Create Binding Commitments

The difference between branding and storytelling, and why it matters now more than ever

Nov 19, 2021 by Adam Davidson

Reddit’s missing business model: Embedding commerce in culture

A deep dive into the monetization challenges of Reddit and the road to profitability it can take by embracing creators.

Nov 18, 2021 by Rohit Kaul

Divinations

How Memes Control Everything

The Economics of Belief Transmission

1 Oct 13, 2021 by Nathan Baschez

Napkin Math

Product-Led Growth’s Failure

How a Scrappy Utah Software Company Ignored Every Silicon Valley Heuristic and Won Anyway

3 Jun 3, 2021 by Evan Armstrong

Napkin Math

Revenue: It’s Simple, Until It Isn’t

Finally, a clear explanation of bookings, billings and revenue

5 Feb 5, 2021 by Evan Armstrong

Cybernaut

LinkedIn’s Alternate Universe

How the professional platform makes networking weird

1 Dec 3, 2020 by Fadeke Adegbuyi

Divinations

Three Shorts: Instagram, Spotify, Substack

The strategy behind the news, in as few bullet points as possible

Nov 18, 2020 by Nathan Baschez

Divinations

Three Shorts: Fast’s 1b valuation, McPlant’s power move, and Apple’s disruptive M1 chip

Hello! Welcome to Three Shorts, a recurring series where I unpack the strategy behind the news in as few bullet points as possible.Enjoy!Fas

Nov 11, 2020 by Nathan Baschez

Napkin Math

Substack Rhymes With Medium

Substack can't decide if it's a CMS or a media brand. Neither could Medium. Their indecision will likely lead to similar outcomes.

Sep 26, 2020 by Adam Keesling

Divinations

Roam’s road ahead

How the tool for networked thought can grow into its $200m valuation

Sep 18, 2020 by Nathan Baschez

Divinations

Instagram can’t recreate TikTok’s Magic

The content format is a red herring. What really matters is the structure and purpose of TikTok’s network, which is antithetical to Instagram.

Aug 24, 2020 by Nathan Baschez

Napkin Math

How Costco Convinces Brands to Cannibalize Themselves

An unlikely marriage where both sides win

3 Jul 15, 2020 by Adam Keesling

Divinations

Will HEY Work?

The dust has settled. Now what?

Jun 26, 2020 by Nathan Baschez

Divinations

Finding Power

An introduction to Clay Christensen’s most underrated idea: “The Conservation of Modularity”

6 May 4, 2020 by Nathan Baschez

Divinations

Inside the Clubhouse

The surprisingly compelling audio app that has consumed my life

Apr 24, 2020 by Nathan Baschez