7 Powers Strategic Framework
Apply Hamilton Helmer's framework: Power = Benefit (improved cash flow) + Barrier (prevents competitive arbitrage). Without both, advantage is temporary.
The Seven Powers by Lifecycle Phase
Origination (pre-PMF):
- - Counter-positioning — new model would cannibalize incumbents' existing business
- Cornered Resource — preferential access to scarce resource (IP, talent, regulatory)
Takeoff (rapid growth post-PMF):
- - Scale Economics — per-unit cost decreases with volume faster than competitors can match
- Network Economics — product value increases as more users join
- Switching Costs — customers face significant cost (money, time, risk) to leave
Stability (mature):
- - Branding — pricing power from emotional connection beyond rational attributes
- Process Power — embedded organizational capabilities competitors can't replicate
Process
- 1. Identify lifecycle phase — Origination → Takeoff → Stability
- List benefits the business currently has
- For each benefit, test the barrier: "What prevents competitors from copying this?"
- Map to available Powers for the current phase
- Prioritize building Powers that create both benefit AND barrier now
- Flag anti-patterns — benefits without barriers, wrong-phase Power pursuit, easily-eroded barriers
Quick Diagnostic Questions
| Power | Key Question |
|---|
| Scale Economics | Does cost-per-unit drop meaningfully as we grow? |
| Network Economics |
Does each new user make the product better for existing users? |
| Counter-positioning | Would adopting our model hurt incumbents' current revenue? |
| Switching Costs | How painful (time, money, risk) is it for customers to leave? |
| Branding | Can we charge premium beyond rational product attributes? |
| Cornered Resource | Do we have access to something competitors literally cannot get? |
| Process Power | Can competitors observe but not replicate how we do things? |
Detailed Reference
For full examples, anti-patterns, and related frameworks: read references/powers-detail.md
7种力量战略框架
应用汉密尔顿·赫尔默的框架：力量 = 收益（改善现金流）+ 壁垒（防止竞争套利）。缺少任何一项，优势都只是暂时的。
按生命周期阶段划分的七种力量
初创期（产品-市场匹配前）：
- - 反定位 — 新模式会蚕食现有企业的既有业务
- 资源垄断 — 优先获取稀缺资源（知识产权、人才、监管许可）
起飞期（产品-市场匹配后快速成长）：
- - 规模经济 — 单位成本随产量增加而下降的速度快于竞争对手
- 网络效应 — 产品价值随用户数量增加而提升
- 转换成本 — 客户离开需承担显著成本（金钱、时间、风险）
稳定期（成熟阶段）：
- - 品牌力 — 超越理性属性的情感连接带来的定价权
- 流程优势 — 竞争对手无法复制的内嵌组织能力
操作流程
- 1. 识别生命周期阶段 — 初创期 → 起飞期 → 稳定期
- 列出当前业务拥有的收益
- 针对每项收益检验壁垒：什么阻止竞争对手复制这一点？
- 映射到当前阶段可用的力量
- 优先构建能同时创造收益和壁垒的力量
- 标记反模式 — 无壁垒的收益、错误阶段的力量追求、易被侵蚀的壁垒
快速诊断问题
| 力量 | 关键问题 |
|---|
| 规模经济 | 随着规模增长，单位成本是否显著下降？ |
| 网络效应 |
每个新用户是否让产品对现有用户更有价值？ |
| 反定位 | 采用我们的模式是否会损害现有企业的当前收入？ |
| 转换成本 | 客户离开需要承受多大痛苦（时间、金钱、风险）？ |
| 品牌力 | 我们能否收取超越理性产品属性的溢价？ |
| 资源垄断 | 我们是否拥有竞争对手根本无法获取的资源？ |
| 流程优势 | 竞争对手能否观察但无法复制我们的做事方式？ |
详细参考
完整案例、反模式及相关框架：请阅读 references/powers-detail.md
