Most strategy is, unfortunately, bullshit.

Complicated.
Dense.
Timid.

And more concerned with "optimisation" and "efficiency" than what really matters:

-> Making a big move that's going to change the game.

That's real strategy.

The kind that builds categories of one.
Inspires teams.
Locks-in customers.
Is written about in books.
Turns executives into legends.

...and frankly turns our boring business lives into a true adventure.

(Because I don't know about you, but I'm not here to shuffle papers until I die)

No Bullshit Strategy is how you do it.

If you want to be able to:

- Read markets like a book
- Conjure innovations nobody saw coming
- Build companies with no competitors
- Inspire teams to follow you into the unknown

...then you're in the right place.

Start here 👇

To work with me to develop a strategy like this, or embed these skills into your organisation, learn more here:

👉 www.basicarts.org/work-with-alex/

To get my ultimate strategy document template (that forces you to think the right way), totally free, grab it here:

👉 www.basicarts.org/template

To read No Bullshit Strategy, that helps you master these skills for the price of a cocktail, and which is passed around in the halls of many of the world's top brands:

👉 Go wherever you get your books

For video deep dives on these topics, check out my YouTube:

👉 youtube.com/alexmhsmith

And if you're a small business or want to learn these techniques yourself (or to use on your clients - I don't mind!), then you've gotta see this:

👉 www.strategyshortcutsystem.com

Business is an adventure.
Strategy is the map.

Let’s set out.

Alex

Alex M H Smith

This isn't a post about AI.

This is a post about you.

Moreover, it's a post about how your brain solves problems - a process that's more weird than you think.

It works for me, hope it works for you too.
__

This idea first appeared in richer detail on my newsletter, The Hidden Path.

To subscribe for free, go here: https://lnkd.in/eJSPsGUf

No Bullsh*t Strategy | Courage, meaning, and creation in business | Speaker | Author

When I do (and don't) use AI

A "leader" is not just "a senior person in a business".

It's also not someone who's in charge of people.
Or someone with a team.

--- It's actually something very specific - and rare.

Are you one? The slides reveal all...

Hope you enjoy.

(and if you want to actually lead, start here: https://lnkd.in/eJSPsGUf )

Are you a leader or a manager?

A little while ago, a woman was asking me for advice regarding her small chain of baby care stores.

(Is that what you call them? Baby care? Baby equipment? Anyway you know, prams, bottles, and stuff)

So I asked her the first obvious question:

"Well, what makes you different?"

She thought for a while, and ultimately landed on the ultimate get-out-clause of differentiation:

"It would have to be our customer service!"

OK, cool, maybe that's true. So I probed a bit deeper, and asked:

"What exactly do you do to have such good customer service?"

At this there was silence. It took her a while to even process the idea that in order to have "exceptional" customer service, you must first DO something execeptional to create it. Otherwise, it's physically impossible, isn't it?

(Note that almost every business I speak to misses this point - she was in great company)

I gave an example:

"Well, for instance do you only shop staff who have been parents already? If you did, then for sure they would be able to provide deeper and more empathetic service than other stores, right?"

But no, she didn't do this. Her hiring practices were normal.

Eventually we established that there wasn't anything in particular that made it special - it just sort of "was" because she believed it to be true.

And this is true of almost EVERY claim EVERY business makes.

And this is why they find sales so difficult.

Because claims don't sell.
Facts sell.

Facts that make the claim self-evident.

Imagine if she did only hire people who'd already had kids. Wouldn't that be a cool story? Wouldn't that provide substance to her claims? Wouldn't that make you want to go to her store to buy your car seat or whatever?

For sure it would.

So your job is simple: create some facts.

Do some undeniable things, just like this, that make your claims superfluous. Creative, thoughtful, surprising things your competitors wouldn't do.

And then watch how much easier it becomes.

(P.S. this taks becomes a lot easier with this: www.basicarts.org/toolkit )

Facts not claims

Strange isn't it:

- Every company claims they're different.
- But we all know that very few truly are.

How is this possible?

Is it delusion?
Is it lies?

No, actually it's more complicated than that. It's a phenomenon we might call "fake differentiation".

And it's probably infecting your company right now.

Read on to spot it instantly.
__

This post is 100% AI-free.

And so is my weekly newsletter on bold strategic thinking, The Hidden Path.

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eJSPsGUf

Fake differentiation is everywhere

Most strategy is bullshit.

Quite literally.

Bullshit means “a bunch of fancy words which actually mean nothing at all”, and that sure does describe most strategy you come across.

Fortunately there’s a remedy: the three exercises in these slides.

Check them out, and see how your business stacks up.

__

P.S. These are the kinds of strategy hacks I’m releasing every week in my newsletter, The Hidden Path.

Join 28,000 other creative leaders right here: https://lnkd.in/eJSPsGUf

How you can tell if a strategy is actually bullshit

I heard Roger Martin say that he'd never seen any course or program that was dedicated to creating novel hypotheses.

A great point - and a pretty big problem given that this is how all REAL strategy starts.

So I decided to churn out 5 easy methods for doing just that.

Not saying the ideas will be "right".

But they will be "novel".

And that, ultimately, is what really counts.

___

There's plenty more where this came from via my newsletter that teaches entrepreneurial strategic thinking.

Subscribe for free, here: https://lnkd.in/eJSPsGUf

Daniel Brenneman

Everyone has a remarkably unique personal brand inside them waiting to be discovered. It lies at the intersection of every life experience, perspective, and skillset you have. Sometimes you just need a guide to help you get there.

As that guide, I'm firmly implanted between being a coach and consultant — a coachultant as it were. I provide the systems and processes needed to develop, but the way I do it is very much like a coach. It's transformation first, systems second.

The aim is to build remarkably unique brands and businesses by tapping into the parts of you no one can replicate. And trust me — even if you don't think it's there, it is. It's just yet to be discovered.

Founder

Empathy Marketing Co.

Co-Founder

Elevation Church

Email Marketing Specialist

Campus Engagement Strategist

Graphic Designer

PureRed

Senior Graphic Designer

Creative Production Artist

Nashville Predators

Graphic Design Intern

Sharing simple tips and frameworks to help you find marketing clarity | Preaching the power of emotional marketing | Leading with empathy for a over a decade | Always doing the daddest things

Overlooked and under-utilized. That’s how I felt for a long time.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro athlete. The discipline, the drive, the thrill of competition—it all pulled me in. That dream didn’t happen, but the mindset stuck. I took that same work ethic and used it to build something else: a unique set of skills that let me help people create their next big chapter.

I’ve been a graphic designer, a strategist, and an email marketer. Each role stretched me in different ways, but none of them let me bring my whole self to the table. It wasn’t until I started building my personal brand that things clicked. I stopped trying to fit into a box and started using everything I’d learned along the way. That’s when I became 1 of 1 — remarkably me.

That’s what I want for you.

As an athlete, you’ve already done what most people can only dream of. You’ve honed a work ethic, discipline, and mindset that’s unmatched. But now, it’s about what comes next. Your personal brand is your second act—the opportunity to build something just as remarkable as your first chapter.

With empathy, simplicity, and generosity, I help pro athletes tap into their full selves to create a personal brand that’s worthy of attention. A brand that not only stands out but also sets the stage for speaking opportunities, businesses, and long-term impact.

If you see yourself in my story, let’s chop it up for 30 minutes—no charge. Life-changing shifts happen when you’re ready to step into your next chapter. Shoot me a DM or hit the link in the featured section below.

Let’s make your next move your best one.

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The Battle

Alex M H Smith

Daniel Brenneman 💛

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The Battle

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Daniel Brenneman 💛

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