[V+ Perspective] Strategy Is Not Tactics: A Mindset Upgrade for Entrepreneurs

When talking with startup teams, we often hear things like:

“Our strategy is to run ads.”

“Our strategy is to market on Instagram.”

“Our strategy is to launch an AI feature.”

But these are not strategies — they’re tactics.

What Is Strategic Thinking?

Strategy ≠ Action.

• Strategy: Where will you focus under limited resources — and why?

  
  

• Tactics: How will you do it? Ads, discounts, product launches, partnerships.

Strategy is about choices and trade-offs.

Tactics are about execution and methods.

Tactics without strategy are like swinging punches in the dark.

What Does a Good Strategy Look Like?

In Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, management scholar Richard Rumelt breaks a good strategy into three core elements:

1. Diagnosis

   • What is the essence of the problem? Where is the market tension?

     
     

2. Guiding Policy

   • Which path will you take? Which market or customer segment will you focus on?

     
     

3. Coherent Actions

   • Multiple actions that reinforce each other to create synergy.

Leading Companies Understand This Logic

• Amazon started as an online bookstore — not a department store — because books had the widest variety, scattered inventory, low unit price, and low return rate. It was the perfect e-commerce entry point. Once logistics and customer base were built, they expanded into all categories.

  
  

• Netflix began with DVD-by-mail to avoid capital-intensive retail stores, using convenience as differentiation, then transformed into a streaming platform when timing was right.

  
  

• Airbnb targeted short-term lodging during large events and conventions, when hotels were fully booked and demand gaps were clear. Hosts and guests felt immediate value, and the company gradually grew from a niche to a mainstream travel platform.

These are strategies, not one-off tactical moves.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Quick Comparison

Category	Strategy	Tactics
Core Question	Which market should we play in, and why?	How do we reach customers?
Time Horizon	Mid to long term (1–3 years)	Short term (1–3 months)
Nature	Choice and trade-off	Execution and method
Example	Focus on SME HR SaaS → use low-cost acquisition strategy to enter market	LinkedIn ads, word-of-mouth marketing, pricing A/B tests

Three Core Questions of Strategy

Every company’s strategy should clearly answer these:

1. Where to Play

   • Which segment to start with? Which geography first? Which customer group first?

     
     

2. How to Win

   • Is it through cost structure advantage, product differentiation, or network effects?

     
     

3. Sequence & Trade-offs

   • Which markets will you not pursue in the short term? Which features will you defer?

There’s no single right answer — but these questions give your team a clear sense of direction.

Why Entrepreneurs Must Cultivate Strategic Thinking

1. Limited Resources:

Startups can’t fight on every front — you must know where leverage exists.

2. Avoid Tactical Busy-Blindness:

Without a guiding strategy, teams chase short-term metrics and lose long-term compounding power.

Strategic thinking is a habit, not a one-time plan.

When founders shift from a tactical checklist to strategic choices, their teams can move farther and steadier — even with limited resources.