Driver 6: Financing

Driver 6: Financing

In the framework, this is financial analysis: can you fund your next move internally, do you raise, or can you tap capital that costs you no equity at all? How it grows the business: Financing is additional source of fuel for the engine. It doesn’t create advantage on...
Driver 3: Partnerships

Driver 3: Partnerships

How it grows the business, and why it’s disproportionately important early. For an early-stage company with no brand awareness and no proof of value yet, the biggest assets a partner brings aren’t logistics or shelf space: they’re relationships and reputation. A...
Driver 2: Markets

Driver 2: Markets

How it grows the business: choosing a defensible market strategy is a critical step most companies fail to address until there is a problem. Strategic Position Market Strategy is the decision you make about where you carve out your position in relation to your...
Driver 1: Products

Driver 1: Products

How it grows the business: A genuinely differentiated product expands demand, supports pricing power, and opens adjacent segments. For a startup, this is usually where advantage starts. What’s changed: Product development used to be one of the most capital-hungry...