Real strategic clarity is rare. There’s noise. There are competing objectives across the business.
But what if you stripped it all back?
When Alex M.H Smith, author of No Bullsh*t Strategy and founder of Basic Arts, joined our January StrategiQ conference, he said:
“The beauty of strategy is how divorced it is from process and labour. Strategy should be the easiest, fastest, smoothest, most casual part of the process.”
This was among other nuggets of wisdom that Alex has gathered from his early days working on ‘grimy, dirty briefs’ (his words) at a below-the-line sampling agency to where he is now – advising big clients on big, strategic decisions.
Alex’s reflections cut to the heart of the matter. And here, we list our favourite parts of our all-agency conversation with him.
1. Knowing who you are is the first step
One of the most powerful themes from our interview was identity:
“Everyone needs to understand who they are and do it on purpose – your business already has an identity.”
Too many organisations operate without this self-awareness. They chase client requests or follow competitor moves, never pausing to ask:
- What are we actually good at?
- What is our real identity – not the one we wish we had, but the one the market already sees?
Alex pointed out that this identity often reveals itself externally long before internal leadership recognises it:
“It might be obvious to an outsider who you are, but rarely seen from the inside.”
2. Competing where you’re ‘ill-suited’ is a trap
Knowing who you are and what you’re good at naturally lends itself to understanding where you are best suited to compete as you.
A foundational idea from Alex’s book is being better than competitors often results in being the same as competitors. Real strategic advantage comes from being unique, not merely superior.
3. Not to say you can’t ‘land and expand’
Saying yes to the projects that land on your doorstep is good common sense – it is also an indication of where the market sees your strengths (even if you want to go further or ‘do more’).
Alex said: “People buy what they want/think they need. You can’t control what people phone and ask you for.”
But we challenged him on how this plays out long term, eventually landing on this idea:
- a strategist’s job isn’t to bow to the initial request – it’s to stratify the response and open up new possibilities
- The ask is the starting point
- The strategy is the match between that and what creates real, lasting value
- Too many agencies stop at the ask
4. Self-perception and market reality must align
One of the hardest strategic exercises is confronting the difference between the identity you want and where the market currently perceives you.
This is especially relevant for agencies and service firms. You might think you’re a full-service strategic partner, but the market might consistently buy you for a narrower niche.
Great strategy acknowledges and amplifies what your clients already value, rather than forcing what you wish they valued.
5. Be obvious – Like Red Bull or Apple
Alex repeatedly returned to the idea of clarity:
“You want Red Bull level obviousness of what you do/what you’re about to do.”
He uses Apple and Red Bull as examples all the time, because they are unmistakable in the market:
- Red Bull isn’t just cans. It’s energy, attitude, culture.
- Apple isn’t just devices. It’s the ecosystem and user experience.
This kind of obviousness – where the business’s purpose is obvious even to outsiders – is the strategic Holy Grail.
Importantly, Alex reminded us that how a company earns money needn’t be what it’s known for.
6. Strategy can feel smooth and natural (when right)
Alex’s point that strategy should be the easiest, fastest, smoothest, most casual part of the process was one of his more controversial.
It flips a common assumption on its head – the idea that strategy is about heavy workshops, and endless frameworks. It isn’t.
It’s about insight, clarity and simple, bold choices that drive everything else.
Final thoughts. Strategy as clear identity, value and being obvious
Alex’s work reminds us better is the same. Unique earns attention and opens growth.
Our key takeaways:
Know who you are
Self-awareness isn’t optional. It’s a strategic foundation.
Be obvious in your value
If your strategy isn’t noticeable to outsiders, it’s not a strategy – it’s noise.
We believe it’s always strategy – that’s why we’re called StrategiQ. No matter how tactical the questions, they are always a strategy question in disguise.
New Future Value™ lives at the intersection of Business, Brand and Tech.
Let’s make your strategy unmistakably yours.
“Most companies never know who they are – even to ask the question is unusual. The strategic strength occurs when self perception and market perception of a company aligns.” Alex M.H. Smith
