The other day, I reviewed a portfolio company's 2025 strategy deck. Although the deck used all the right buzzwords—AI transformation, vertical SaaS expansion, and product-led growth—something felt off. That's when I realized we're all at risk of making a classic mistake: following someone else's "proven strategy" instead of trusting our strategic instincts.
I've learned an expensive lesson after working in venture capital for the last four years and with growth-stage CEOs. Every time a business ignores intuition in favor of market trends, it pays twice—once for lost market opportunity and again for wasted resources and team alignment.
The Problem with "Market Best Practices": When I reflect on the most significant strategic missteps I've seen, there's a common thread: companies following "proven playbooks" despite leadership's gut feeling that something wasn't right for their specific market or company stage.
The enterprise sales motion that worked for every other B2B SaaS company felt wrong — and it was. The product-led growth strategy that transformed a competitor felt off — and it was. Each time leadership hesitated, they should have listened to their instincts and made quicker decisions with room to iterate.
Other companies' successes prove that their strategies will work universally. But strategies don't always transfer; first principles do.
Think about the last time you saw a portfolio company take strategic advice that didn't fit. Maybe they:
If you're honest, you probably knew it wasn't right from the start. But market momentum and peer pressure can drown out strategic intuition.
Trust Your Market Knowledge: The most successful pivots and strategies I've seen came from trusting seasoned business instincts:
Every time, the market said they were wrong. Every time, their strategic intuition proved correct. Not because they were more intelligent than everyone else. Their intuition was correct because they deeply understood their specific market dynamics.
The Evidence in Outcomes
Each success came from trusting market knowledge over market trends.
The Bottom Line for 2025: Your strategic intuition is built on years of pattern recognition. Often, it's worth more than the latest market analysis or consultant recommendation.
Before finalizing 2025 strategies, ask these questions:
When you feel that hint of doubt reviewing 2025 plans, pay attention. That's not risk aversion — it's pattern recognition trying to tell you something.
Your competitive advantage is your strategic intuition backed by market knowledge and operational experience. Use it.
Remember: It's better to be right on your terms than wrong following someone else's playbook.
As you review those 2025 strategy decks, trust what you know about your market, companies, and strengths. More than any market trend, that knowledge will guide you to the right decisions.
Our intuition is truly a gift. Use it.
And that's all for this today...
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