Lean Startup, Lean Canvas, Blue Ocean Strategies, tools used by venture capitalists to assess if a company has a good chance at creating huge new markets, all have to be a part of our tool kit as we build our plans, operate our businesses, and especially, as we react to changes in our markets and to competitive forces.
“Classical strategy” tools and methods from Porter, McKinsey, GM and others are of huge help as we set our bearings and make the big picture drawings of which direction we are going to head with our existing or new ventures. But, new, what I call Agile Strategy methods provide essential guidance to help us actually find the veins of gold and stay on them, and to validate with our customers and partners that we are not just throwing money at invalidated concepts that few customers really value.
In our rapidly changing world of new over-the-top solutions, fast technology change, dynamic customer needs, and shifting roles in competition, it is more important than ever to stay close to our customers and their real pressing needs. We need not only Agile Engineering and Agile Product Marketing, but entire Agile Businesses. The following sections provide an overview these Agile Strategy Methods.