Common Mistakes
Frameworks that sound right but are usually being used too early — or for the wrong problem.
🐕 SWOT is a synthesis wrapper. The real work here is Porter's Five Forces. Use SWOT only at the end.
🐕 SWOT skipped over the analysis. Start with Five Forces + PESTLE + TAM/SAM/SOM, then synthesise into SWOT.
🐕 SWOT will surface symptoms, not causes. Use Value Chain or Unit Economics first.
🐕 SWOT won't tell you whether the growth route is viable. Use Ansoff for naming + TAM/SAM/SOM + NPV.
🐕 PESTLE is a scan, not a strategy. It feeds Five Forces and your market sizing.
🐕 PESTLE is the wrong tool for choosing a growth route — it can't say what to do.
🐕 Ansoff names the route. It does not prove the route is wise. Pair with VRIO, Five Forces and TAM/SAM/SOM.
🐕 Ansoff is a labelling exercise. Add NPV, capability tests, and market sizing before committing.
🐕 BCG only works with real portfolio + share data. Without that, use GE-McKinsey or skip the matrix and go to unit economics.
🐕 BCG is a portfolio tool. For a single product/business, it's the wrong tool.
🐕 NPV with speculative inputs is precision theatre. Validate the assumption with Lean Startup first.
🐕 Single-point NPV under deep uncertainty misleads. Use scenario analysis or real options.
🐕 Scorecard without a clear strategy just creates dashboards. Use 7S to diagnose alignment first.
🐕 The problem isn't change adoption — it's that the incentives reward the wrong behaviour. Fix Herzberg-style hygiene and incentives first.
🐕 Kotter assumes a change journey. If the issue is team climate or skill, use Psychological Safety or Situational Leadership.
🐕 A journey map will dress up symptoms. The real issue is unit economics — fix the maths first.
🐕 Journey maps are useful, but if churn is driven by price/value, start with JTBD and unit economics.