Part 1: Vision, positioning, moats and trade-offs

Module 2 · Sat 18 Jul

Get the order right: vision (where we're going) → mission (the problem we solve) → strategy (the path we pick) → roadmap (the steps). A roadmap is not a strategy - it's just a list unless a strategy sits above it. Airbnb and Tesla were the class examples.

Positioning is a designed trade-off: you choose what you're best at, and for whom. Apple vs Android, Ola vs Uber. You can't win on everything, so strategy is often deciding what to leave out - WhatsApp chose growth over early revenue; airlines pick comfort or price.

• Moats keep you ahead: data, switching cost, brand/trust, proprietary AI model, distribution, network effects.
• Moats can vanish: Kodak, Nokia and Jasper lost theirs when the world shifted.
• Timing: first mover isn't always the winner - Facebook came after Orkut but started narrow (one college) and won.

How products win: better experience, better economics (ROI), or better distribution - best if all three loop together. Think in second-order effects: every change ripples. Retargeting ads can annoy users; Airbnb making professional photos mandatory builds trust, but the photos still have to load on slow networks and cheap phones.