Kaihan Krippendorff 
Outthink the Competition 
How a New Generation of Strategists Sees Options Others Ignore

A Fast Company blogger and former Mc Kinsey consultant
profiles the next generation business strategists: the
‘Outthinkers’

‘Outthinkers’ are entrepreneurs and corporate leaders with a new
playbook. They see opportunities others ignore, challenge dogma
others accept as truth, rally resources others cannot influence,
and unleash new strategies that disrupt their markets. Outthink
the Competition proves that business competition is undergoing
a fundamental paradigm shift and that during such revolutions,
outthinkers beat traditionalists.

Outthink the Competition presents stories of breakthrough
companies like Apple, Google, Vistaprint, and Rosetta Stone whose
stunning performances defy traditional explanation and will inspire
readers to outthink the competition. Core concepts in the book
include:

* Discover the Eight Dimensions of Disruption

* Learn to play by the Outthinker Playbook

* Develop the Five Habits of the Outthinker

* Implement the Outthinker Process

It’s time to buck tradition in order to stay ahead. Outthink the
competition and uncover opportunities hiding in plain sight.

Table of Content

Acknowledgments ix

PART 1 THE FOUNDATION 1

Chapter 1 Evolution through Revolution 3

Chapter 2 Today’s Business Revolution 14

PART 2 THE NEW OUTTHINKER PLAYBOOK 29

Chapter 3 Move Early to the Next Battleground 35

Chapter 4 Coordinate the Uncoordinated 43

Chapter 5 Force Two-Front Battles 54

Chapter 6 Be Good 64

Chapter 7 Create Something Out of Nothing 75

PART 3 THE FIVE HABITS OF OUTTHINKERS 85

Chapter 8 Mental Time Travel 87

Chapter 9 Attacking the Interconnected System 94

Chapter 10 Frame Shifting 100

Chapter 11 A Disruptive Mind-Set 106

Chapter 12 Shaping Perceptions 118

PART 4 APPLY THE OUTTHINKER PROCESS 127

Chapter 13 Step 1: Imagine 131

Chapter 14 Step 2: Dissect 137

Chapter 15 Step 3: Expand 144

Chapter 16 Step 4: Analyze 149

Chapter 17 Step 5: Sell 155

PART 5 REBUILDING THE ORGANIZATION FROM WITHIN 161

Chapter 18 Phase 1: Establish Multiple Points of Differentiation
163

Chapter 19 Phase 2: Create Playbook Asymmetry 173

Chapter 20 Phase 3: Construct an Outthinker Culture 181

Appendix A The Research 193

Appendix B The 36 Stratagems 197

Appendix C Tools 211

Notes 217

Index 225

About the author

KAIHAN KRIPPENDORFF is is a business strategist, author, and investor. A former consultant with Mc Kinsey & Co., Kaihan works globally with ambitious large and medium-sized corporations, including Microsoft, L’Oreal, and Johnson & Johnson, teaching executives and entrepreneurs how to unleash their strategic creativity to raise their organization’s performance. Kaihan also blogs for Fast Company.com, is an active public speaker, and is regularly featured in key business media outlets. His previous books include The Art of the Advantage, Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile, and The Way of Innovation. Learn more at www.kaihan.net.