blogs – Svyatoslav Biryulin

The Customer-Axis Framework

The Customer-Axis Framework was developed by Svyatoslav (S.B.) Biryulin as a practical business strategy tool for navigating a turbulent world. It was designed as a direct alternative to traditional, rigid strategy development…

Why 80% of strategy retreats fail

You can’t pull what isn’t there out of your executives’ heads When running strategy retreats, leaders expect a sudden explosion of openness and creativity. They think that if they drag…

How to Break Down Your Goals Without Breaking Your Neck

Goal Cascading Done Right The Soviet Union wasn’t just an ‘evil empire’ or a place where people were jailed for their beliefs. It was a unique economic experiment that started…

The No Strategy Approach

You don’t need a better strategy, you need a different playbook “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Rita Mae Brown The paradox…

Pies, Pyramids, and Swiss Watches

Why you should ditch the concept of ‘the market’ You can’t have more than 100% of a pie. Unless you’re the one baking it. In this issue: · Where Apple’s…

Creating a Customer: How to Stand Out in a Lookalike Contest

Your competitive advantage when efficiency has become a commodity The best way to win a market is to create your own. The best way to create a market is to…

What CEOs Can Learn from Ford Motor’s Recent Strategic Blunders

Three Mistakes You Shouldn’t Repeat The future is unpredictable, and progress is driven by customers. –– In this issue: Where Ford Motor’s leadership missed the mark. The key takeaway for…

Why Your Product Won’t Fly

The 99,9% Trap: When MVPs stop working Sometimes, clarifying a client’s needs is just the first step toward uncovering their true motives. If you’ve ever launched a product you pinned…

What Would Socrates Ask You About Your Business Strategy?

The One Thing You Must Never Outsource Outsourcing strategy is like hiring a nanny to raise your child. –– I once lectured on strategy for an EMBA program. One of…