Book review - Blue ocean strategy

This is the book from 2005, I am cathing up :).

This book definetely goes into my strategy favorites. Blue ocean strategy is all about how to create products which make the competition irrelevant. There are many examples - starbucks made their fellow coffee retailers irrelevant when they launched (their competition is not relevant to coffee at all). SouthWest made competition irrelevant since it did not compete with airlines when it was launched.


I liked the book because of two reasons -

The first is its analytical tool kit. In every chapter the authors present an analytical tool to practically follow their advise. Their strategy map is much better than the position map, it just not show where you are with respect to competition, but it also shows what are the factors relevant in the industry and how you are doing with respect to your competitors along those factors. The beauty of the map is that you can just say whether your strategy is good or not by looking at the map. The authors present a tool for pricing models as well.

The second is the completeness. It starts right from the question of why/how to create a blue ocean strategy and ends with execution and sustaining the strategy. It talks about almost all facets of management, lauching, pricing, leadership etc.

A must read for all managers, hey who does not have competition and who does not want to get away from them ?. A must high tech entrepreneurs since they never set their foot into red oceans.