The Asymmetrics: 24 Ways David Beats Goliath

At last count there were about 24 different ways David beats Goliath. Ways to defeat, or avoid losing to, the Goliath in your industry or category.

They include things like: you only fight on terrain where Goliath's strengths don't help him. You only use weapons he can't defend against. You rely on speed if he's bigger and slower, or on density and strength if he's nimble. You do what he cannot or will not do, because it would destroy his brand, eat into his revenue, make him cannibalize part of his business or abandon part of it. He can't explain it or get approval from the board or shareholders.

Every company is strong in some ways and weak in others. Asymmetric means either living in a category where they won't follow you, or counter-positioning against them in a way they cannot, will not or should not come after you.

It doesn't take long to scan through two dozen asymmetric lenses and see if any gives you a clear picture. It's almost always worthwhile. Find the one or two, or with luck three, that might work. There's a clear picture there: we could do that, and they wouldn't be able to counter us there. Then explore those as business opportunities, places to move to or ways to fight.