December 9, 2025
Alex M H Smith - Understanding Value
Author of No BS Strategy, Alex M H Smith, rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to help define a very important word that few business people understand correctly.
Chapters
- Understanding Business Strategy
- The Misunderstood Concept of Value
- Creating Value in Business
- Innovating Beyond Traditional Value
- Practical Examples and Market Research
- Unique Value Proposition
- Understanding Differentiation in Business
- The Importance of Unique Positioning
- Consulting Strategies and Unique Differences
- Examples of Effective Differentiation
- The Role of Specialization in Strategy
- Embracing Weaknesses for Strategic Advantage
- Balancing Specialization and Market Reach
- The Pitfalls of Over-Niching
- Rooting in Recognizable Categories
AI Summary
On this episode of Ditching Hourly, host Jonathan Stark welcomes back business strategy consultant and author Alex M H Smith. They delve into the concept of value and how businesses can effectively create it in the market—a term often misunderstood and conflated with tactics. Alex discusses his simplified, no-nonsense approach to strategy, as detailed in his book, ’No Bullshit Strategy.’ They emphasize that for a business to succeed, it must focus on doing something new and unique, rather than competing only on established parameters. They also explore the pitfalls of misunderstanding or misapplying the concepts of strategy and value, suggesting businesses start by pinpointing what sets them apart inherently. Alex recommends shifting the focus from merely fulfilling client needs to introducing innovative elements that offer genuine differentiation. The discussion also touches on the nuances of niche marketing, highlighting the balance between specialization and retaining broad applicability.
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Yours,
—J