The Focus Dilemma: Why “Double Strategy” Fails in Agile and Business

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In Agile teams, we often face a familiar trap: trying to be everything at once.
Leaders want startup speed with enterprise reliability, premium quality with low cost, or broad market reach with niche specialization — all at the same time.

This is the same trap that Michael Porter, one of the most influential strategists in business theory, warned about decades ago.
He argued that companies trying to combine multiple strategic directions are doomed to “stay stuck in the middle — with no profit and no position.”

And that lesson applies directly to Agile management today.

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Porter’s Three Competitive Strategies

Porter identified three core ways a company can compete:

1. Cost Leadership – being the lowest-cost producer in the market.
   (Examples: Walmart, Ryanair)

2. Differentiation – offering a unique product customers will pay more for.
   (Examples: Apple, Tesla, Lush)

3. Focus – concentrating on a narrow niche and becoming the best in it.
   (Examples: Rolex in luxury, In-N-Out in fast food)

The key takeaway: choose one.
Because when you try to be everything at once, you lose both your edge and your identity.

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How This Relates to Agile

In product management, the same principle applies.
A product backlog that tries to serve every user type, every feature request, and every business goal quickly becomes meaningless.

Teams lose clarity of purpose:

• Roadmaps expand instead of focusing.

• Metrics conflict (velocity vs. quality vs. innovation).

• The team burns out chasing incompatible priorities.

Agile frameworks like Scrum and Kanban are designed to surface focus — to force teams to decide what truly matters in the next sprint or iteration.
If strategy itself lacks that clarity, no framework will save you.

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Why “Double Strategy” Destroys Companies (and Teams)

• Brand confusion: Customers can’t tell whether they’re paying for price or quality.

• Operational conflict: Low-cost logistics don’t mix with premium standards.

• Internal tension: Marketing promises “premium,” while procurement cuts costs.

These conflicts don’t just happen at the corporate level — they happen inside agile teams too, when leadership sends mixed signals.

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Real-World Examples

Sears – Once America’s largest retailer, Sears tried to compete with Walmart on price and with department stores on quality. The result: no clear audience, no identity, bankruptcy.

Marriott – Survived by separating its brands: Courtyard for budget travelers, Ritz-Carlton for luxury guests. Focus created clarity.

Saab – Tried to be “affordable premium.” Costs like BMW, perception like Toyota — no win on either side.

WeWork – Tried to mix “democratized office space” with a lifestyle brand image. Neither model held.

Yahoo – Tried to be Google and AOL at the same time. Lost both battles.

Motorola – Wanted to be “fashionable and innovative,” but after the Razr boom couldn’t compete on price or design.

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How to Stay Focused in an Agile Environment

If your team can’t clearly answer “What exactly makes us win?”, you’re already drifting.
If someone says, “We’ll have Apple’s quality at Xiaomi’s price,” you’re in the swamp of mediocrity.
If your roadmap can’t be summarized in one sentence — you’re already on the Sears path.

Here’s how to stay grounded:

1. Define your advantage – cost, uniqueness, or niche.

2. Align your roadmap with that advantage.

3. Say no to “let’s please everyone” initiatives.

4. If you expand, build a separate stream or product line — not a Frankenstein strategy.

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Focus is not a limitation.
It’s the only way both companies and agile teams survive — and win.