more mistakes to find that solution. Thomas
1. To what gears do Customers and Pain con-
Edison once said: “Many of life’s failures are
nect? Are there any Customers without Pain
people who did not realize how close they were
or vice-versa?
to success when they gave up.” On the other hand, if you are striving to outperform in existing
2. How about Competitors and Partners? Use
markets, you will undoubtedly copy what others
a marker or strings to connect them to the
do, but do it better, and beat the competition in
three gears in the center. Don’t be alarmed if
their game. However, we have to warn you that
it looks like a spider web: it’s supposed to!
many ideas look great on paper or in conference rooms but fail in real life. So minimize that risk!
3. Now back to the first three gears. Which ideas should be added, removed or changed to
OK! For now, let’s put aside the first three gears.
weaken a Competitor, strengthen a Partner,
Remember to take time to go back, revise and
or relieve a Pain more effectively?
modify your ideas. Ready to move on to the three next gears?
You can now take a step back and review what you have. Give yourself a pat on the back! You
SECOND ORDER OF MAGNITUDE: COMPETITORS, PARTNERS , CUSTOMERS (AND THEIR PAIN)
deserve it!
Now it’s time to expand your Center of Gravity!
THIRD ORDER OF MAGNITUDE: GO GLOBAL, REALITY TEST, TEAM
Test your ideas on Delight, Customer Acquisi-
Go Global, as we said earlier in the book, is not a
tion and Business Models to the following three
necessity. It is fine to target a potentially lucra-
constituencies that will decide the future of your
tive but also very local market! But you can still
business opportunity: Competitors, Partners, and
muse on what would happen if you take your
Customers (and their Pain). So bring out new flip
company one step further to markets worldwide.
charts and Post-its! Create more space around
Will markets in other countries benefit from
your gears and stick the competitors, partners,
your product? Go back to the gears. Draw some
and customer and pain Post-its on it. Connect
clouds on the distant corners and connect them
related Post-its with a marker and ask yourself
with Customers and Pain. If you are not certain
the following questions:
that Go Global is your cup of tea, that’s okay! No 113