
Get the Strategy Right and the Execution Is Easy - worldvoyageur
http://avc.com/2016/01/get-the-strategy-right-and-the-execution-is-easy
======
dfabulich
Charitably, I think "easy" is the wrong word here. I think Fred meant
something like, "get the strategy right and the execution is straightforward
hard work."

Still, if "strategy" is "deciding what to do" and "execution" is "doing what
you decided to do," then Fred's statement is almost tautological; there's
nothing left for execution but "straightforward hard work" once you've drained
out all the decision-making.

On the other hand, if we say "strategy" is only decision-making at the highest
level, then I don't think execution _is_ just straightforward hard work;
there's logistics and tactics, too, which are critical.

Think of the dead companies with the right strategy who spent too much money,
or who bet on the wrong technology platform, or who couldn't marshal a top-
tier sales organization.

~~~
x0x0
Easy has two meanings in english.

The first means you understand what to do, though the doing may be arduous. eg
getting fit is easy.

The second means the doing is itself not arduous. eg sitting on the couch is
easy.

~~~
paulddraper
Would you mind referencing a dictionary.

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walterbell
_> My partner Brad became obsessed with the strategy and go to market and told
Dave Morgan, the founder and CEO, that he was “working too hard and getting
nowhere” and encouraged him to rethink his strategy. Ultimately Dave decided
to flip the go to market model to an ad network and within a year the business
exploded and it sold a few years later to AOL for something like $275mm._

Are there good startup-oriented books on go-to-market strategy, distribution
channels and business models? E.g. should startups choose business models that
are compatible with existing strategy in companies that could aquire the
startup?

List of software revenue models derived from a Fred Wilson post,
[https://gist.github.com/ndarville/4295324](https://gist.github.com/ndarville/4295324)

OSS business models,
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_models_for_open-
sou...](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_models_for_open-
source_software)

Across many industries,
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Business_models](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Business_models)

~~~
Alex3917
> Are there good startup-oriented books on go-to-market strategy, distribution
> channels and business models?

\- Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter. (But just reading the HBR On
Strategy book is probably good enough to get you started.)

\- Positioning by Trout & Ries

\-
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas)

If you search for things like 'marketing channels map', there are plenty of
results. But it's more important to have a few key tactics that play into your
strategy, and then your engagement with the rest of the marketing channels is
going to be pretty generic for most businesses.

And I don't think there is an authoritative encyclopedia of business models,
or at least there wasn't the last time I looked into it.

~~~
walterbell
_> an authoritative encyclopedia of business models_

Yes, such a high-level overview would be valuable, if only to provide business
model names/types for web searches. Along those lines, there is a small book
called "The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking", oriented to
individual decisions. Each model receives a introduction and illustration,
[http://www.amazon.com/The-Decision-Book-Strategic-
Thinking/d...](http://www.amazon.com/The-Decision-Book-Strategic-
Thinking/dp/0393079619/)

------
w1ntermute
These sorts of pithy and sweeping bromides are almost never universally
applicable, and relying on them for important decisions is usually a sign of
intellectual laziness. Fred points to one case it was applicable, but you
could easily point to cases where it isn't (ex: ridesharing).

As for what happened to Tacoda post-acquisition, it wasn't pretty[0].

0: [http://venturebeat.com/2008/08/01/aol-shutters-tacoda-
merger...](http://venturebeat.com/2008/08/01/aol-shutters-tacoda-mergers-
customers-into-low-end-adcom/)

------
perseusprime11
Another bullshit article. Both strategy and execution depend on people and you
are screwed either way if you have the wrong people in either areas.

------
tarr11
I don't know, this advice feels a little off?

Perhaps a better way to say this is "execution doesn't matter if your strategy
isn't working". The way this is written seems to diminish the effort that
happens between the pivot and the exit. It also seems to diminish the luck and
timing involved (frothy markets, AOL's ravenous acquisition appetite,
popularity of ad models, etc)

"Ultimately Dave decided to flip the go to market model to an ad network and
within a year the business exploded and it sold a few years later to AOL for
something like $275mm."

It also seems to contradict of most startup advice I hear [1], which is some
variation of "Ideas are easy. Execution is everything"

[1] [http://www.inc.com/laura-montini/john-doerr-3-things-
underst...](http://www.inc.com/laura-montini/john-doerr-3-things-understand-
before-starting-company.html)

------
tinbad
I'd like to add that getting to a coherent strategy takes time and
understanding what it is that you're trying to do. Given the example of Tacoda
they probably needed those first 4 ears of 'fooling around' to get to a point
where they could figure out, and clearly formulate what it is they should be
going after.

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ffumarola
This statement definitely has a tension with the oft-repeated mantra "Ideas
don't matter." What is a strategy except for a well-considered set of ideas
strung together?

I think it is healthy for people to take a step back from the "Ideas don't
matter" ledge and consider that execution applied aimlessly also may not
matter.

~~~
jackgavigan
_> What is a strategy except for a well-considered set of ideas strung
together?_

It's probably better to think of the idea as the overall goal and the strategy
as the plan for achieving it.

e.g. "Let's _$idea_ by _$strategy_."

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wilnerm13
While "easy" probably is not the best word for this, I do think that it's
important for founders to remember that strategy is important. It can be easy
to think of "the struggle" as a badge of honor, but often if we take a step
back and think about the strategy. We can be smarter with our time and get a
better ROI on our time.

As a founder myself, I've struggled with getting caught up in too much
execution. It's important to take time to lift your head up and see where
you're steering the ship, and seeing if there's a path of less resistance :).

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curun1r
It seems to me that he's trying to argue a positive hypothesis when his
evidence just points to a negative one. He's really saying, "get the strategy
wrong and execution is impossible." But basic logic will tell you that's not
the same thing as what he's claiming. It's also a lot less controversial and
less likely to drive clicks, so perhaps that's the reason he tried to
overreach in his conclusion.

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oldmanjay
If you are just telling other people to execute, I can see how that could be
mistaken for being easy. not a great mindset, but super common amongst
executive types

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vinceguidry
But the strategy is the hardest part...

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jackgavigan
This is heresy, the sort of stuff they teach MBAs.

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puppetmaster3
Ha, ha, ha, ha. OK OK, sorry. ... ha ha ha.

