OutManeuver: OutThink-Don't OutSpend

OutManeuver translates ideas from maneuver warfare into business strategy and methodology. Maneuver relies on speed, agility, insight and innovation to win at the lowest possible cost. These concepts are very timely, as technology, consumer demand and the pace of change force large corporations to become much more agile and able to respond more quickly to market shifts.

We know that modern business structure and strategy is adopted from the military, the first large hierarchical organization. Military leaders learn both attrition strategy and maneuver strategy, but most modern militaries favor attrition. Attrition is head to head combat in which one side seeks to eliminate the other from the battlefield. In business terms, we can see this playing out across industry sectors, where competitors offer relatively undifferentiated products and services. In these markets, competitors win on price, on marketing or on promotions, often commoditizing a market, reducing profits in such a way that there are few winners.

Maneuver seeks to identify the best way to win at the lowest possible cost, by identifying and attacking key vulnerabilities using an indirect attack. Maneuver relies on using speed, surprise, and agility, leveraging good insight and developing innovative solutions.In OutManeuver we define maneuver and use military battles and current business cases like Uber, Airbnb, Apple and others to show how maneuver helps win a disproportionate share of profits at the lowest possible cost.

Jeffrey Phillips is a consultant focusing on innovation and strategy. He has led innovation and strategy projects for Fortune 500 firms for over ten years. He has written several books on innovation, most notably Relentless Innovation. Jeffrey has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Alex Verjovsky is a serial entrepreneur, who recently exited his last business based on biofuels. Alex has built and led startups in high technology, agriculture and e-commerce. He is also a former military officer. Alex has an MBA from Columbia University.