The one about triads
Discover how I leverage triads to shape business strategy, positioning, and product development!
Business, positioning and product
My fascination with using triads for illustrating different concepts was boosted further when I joined my current organisation. I was introduced to a new triad in the form of strategy framework titled HAX model.
Combine it with 2 more that I previously used as a founder and operator, I possessed a perfect trifecta in helping define the business, positioning and product using triads.
Business Triad
The first triad that I used was defining the market we play in during Subjimandi.app
This model was derived from the concept of business triad that Dibello formulated around supply, demand and capital.
According to DiBello, the extracted mental model of business expertise consists of two bits: 1) a triad mental model of supply, demand and capital, and 2) a psychological construct called cognitive agility.
Using Business triads as north star
I have highlighted where we were playing in the market. We were trying to solve the market efficiency between supply and demand. When starting up, it is imperative that we make the right trade-offs as we can’t address all the sides of triad. Other factors become the constraints that we adopt for our success.
This mental model representation is clear and useful in positioning where you want to play in the market.
HAX Model
Moving on from “where we play” to “how we play” brings us to the next triad, HAX model. It provides a adaptable framework to adopt to changing needs of the customers.
… Hax and MIT Sloan’s Dean Wilde created the Delta Model. In a 1999 MIT Sloan Management Review article, they wrote that under the Delta Model, strategy and execution are connected through adaptive processes. This is achieved by: 1. Defining the three strategic positionings (best product, total customer solution, and system lock-in). 2. Aligning a firm’s competencies with the desired strategic position. 3. Seeking a coherent integration across business processes to produce unifying action. 4. Incorporating supplier and complementor companies to ensure fulfilment of the customer value proposition.
The Delta Model: Adaptive Management for a Changing World
We use it in high rotation in my current workplace for defining the strategy of the product. Keeping the customer at the centre, we talk about what type of product and business we want to build. The choice between building a “total customer solution” and “best product” are different in every sense. Knowing how you want to position in front of the customer defines the work you would do in the next triad.
Product Triangle
The last triad talks about different strands of work involved in product management. The product is at the centre and all aspects involved in product building at the three vertices.
- Developers (or engineers) are the people who can write and deploy code. Companies usually have people working on the product that aren’t programming, but the people updating the code are the only folks on the team who are strictly necessary. Developers can perform all company duties (while not always effectively).
- Users (or, less broadly, “customers”) are the people who either use the product or might use the product. All products have the goal of being used, on some level, by people.
- The Business is the entity that funds and hopes to benefit (e.g. profit) from the product. Whether the organization is for-profit or non-profit, there is a bank with a finite amount of funds.
The product management triangle
When I joined the previous workplace from my startup. I was using this triad to formulate their multi-product approach and developing product operation rigour. We developed the roadmap, business model and user research of different suite of products when I actively worked on product team. We even launched a revamp of the product and added multiple new features. It was short lived momentum before I was moved to a different team and project.
Shortly afterwards, I left the company. If it is any consolation, the team hasn’t launched an another product after I and team that worked with me left. Mostly, because they didn’t use the product triangle I developed for them.
Initially when I started writing this section, I was going to walk you through how to put these 3 frameworks to use in developing a new product and service.
I will use these frameworks to develop “billa.ai” on my blog, a purely fictionalised product that I am just remixing for demonstration purpose of these triads.
Stay tuned.
Round up
I have been writing about my learnings of the past and present intermixed with my experience in logistics as answers to questions by Dinesh.
What is one key use case where LLMs can be effectively applied to benefit Indian transporter?
I talk about the importance of workflows and how LLMs can help execute multiple flows in parallel for transporter.
A thing that India should adopt from US or Europe in logistics?
The regional context brings the stark difference between the India and everywhere else. So, while the patterns are similar the way to address problems are different. But, I focus on one aspect of transportation and why it benefits Indian sector if standardised across the region.
Links that resonated
Your Writing
Rands has a short piece listing few percentages associated with writing.
100% of your writing is worth your time.
This is my only reason to continue to write in public whether I am read by people or not.
Stop Assuming so much
… what I am saying is that for situations that you consider important to you (everything from relationships to employment), set some time aside to think about the assumptions you are making in that context. Then think about the cost to transform an assumption into a certainty. If it seems worth it, then do that.
Nintil writes about generic advice with a personal anecdote where he set aside some time and dug into his assumptions. It is practice that he advices others to follow as well.
Sign off
Like I mentioned in the first section, I was in two minds between writing with an example for demonstrating triads or focusing on introducing them.
I went with the introduction route because the example would run into multiple posts. I am determined to get to them eventually in my blog.
I also have a now page which is listed in famous now list maintained by Derek Sivers
Signing off till the next time,
Vivek, shipping this post a day late