<quick_start> Analyze market position:

/blue-ocean analyze [industry/company]

Claude will generate:

• Strategy Canvas (value curves vs competitors)

• ERRC Grid (Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create)

• Six Paths Framework exploration

• Blue Ocean opportunity scoring </quick_start>

<core_concepts>

Red Ocean vs Blue Ocean

Aspect Red Ocean Blue Ocean

Market Space Compete in existing market Create uncontested market

Competition Beat the competition Make competition irrelevant

Demand Exploit existing demand Create and capture new demand

Value/Cost Make value-cost trade-off Break the value-cost trade-off

Strategy Align with differentiation OR low cost Pursue differentiation AND low cost

Value Innovation

The cornerstone of Blue Ocean Strategy:

Traditional thinking: Higher value = Higher cost Lower cost = Lower value

Value Innovation: Higher value + Lower cost = New market space

How it works:

• Eliminate and reduce factors the industry competes on

• Raise and create factors the industry has never offered

• Result: Leap in value for buyers AND the company

The Strategy Canvas

A diagnostic and action framework showing:

• Horizontal axis: Factors the industry competes on

• Vertical axis: Offering level (low to high)

• Value curve: Your company's profile across factors

High │ * * ← Your Blue Ocean Curve │ /│\ /│
│ / │ \ / │
│ / │ \ / │ \ * │/ │ \ / │ \ /│
│ │ / │ / │ │ │ /\ │ /\ │ │ │ / \ │ / \ │ │ │ / \ │ / \│ Low │ │ / \ │ / * ← Industry Average └────┴─────────┴───────────── Factor Factor Factor 1 2 3

</core_concepts>

<errc_framework>

The Four Actions Framework (ERRC)

Action Question Purpose

Eliminate Which factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated? Remove elements that no longer add value or have become hygiene factors

Reduce Which factors should be reduced well below the industry's standard? Strip away over-designed features that increase cost without adding value

Raise Which factors should be raised well above the industry's standard? Address compromises the industry forces on customers

Create Which factors should be created that the industry has never offered? Discover entirely new sources of value for buyers

ERRC Grid Template

┌─────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┐ │ ELIMINATE │ REDUCE │ │ │ │ │ • Factor 1 │ • Factor 1 │ │ • Factor 2 │ • Factor 2 │ │ • Factor 3 │ • Factor 3 │ │ │ │ ├─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤ │ RAISE │ CREATE │ │ │ │ │ • Factor 1 │ • Factor 1 │ │ • Factor 2 │ • Factor 2 │ │ • Factor 3 │ • Factor 3 │ │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┘

Classic ERRC Examples

Cirque du Soleil

Action Factors

Eliminate Star performers, animal shows, aisle concessions, multiple show arenas

Reduce Fun and humor, thrill and danger

Raise Unique venue, artistic music and dance

Create Theme, refined watching environment, multiple productions

Southwest Airlines

Action Factors

Eliminate Meals, lounges, seating choices, hub connections

Reduce Price, airport wait time

Raise Friendly service, speed, frequent departures

Create Point-to-point travel between secondary airports

Yellow Tail Wine

Action Factors

Eliminate Wine complexity, aging quality, vineyard prestige

Reduce Wine range, price

Raise Retail store involvement, easy drinking

Create Fun and adventure, easy selection

</errc_framework>

<six_paths_framework>

Six Paths to Blue Oceans

Path 1: Look Across Alternative Industries

Question: What are the alternative industries to your industry?

Example: NetJets

• Alternative to commercial airlines AND private jet ownership
• Combined reliability of commercial with flexibility of private
• Created fractional jet ownership industry

Analysis Steps:

• List alternatives (not just substitutes)

• Ask: Why do customers trade across alternatives?

• Find factors that make customers choose each

• Combine the best of both

Path 2: Look Across Strategic Groups

Question: What strategic groups exist in your industry?

Example: Curves Fitness

• Strategic groups: Upscale gyms vs. home exercise
• Combined: Simple gym experience + affordable + female-only
• Result: New strategic group

Analysis Steps:

• Map strategic groups by price and features

• Identify why customers trade up or down

• Find factors that trigger movement

• Combine appeals across groups

Path 3: Look Across the Chain of Buyers

Question: Who are the purchasers, users, and influencers?

Role Definition Example

Purchasers Pay for product Corporate IT dept

Users Actually use product Employees

Influencers Shape buying decision Analysts, reviewers

Example: Novo Nordisk Insulin

• Industry focused on: Doctors (influencers)
• Novo Nordisk focused on: Patients (users)
• Created: NovoPen (easy self-injection)

Analysis Steps:

• Map the buyer chain

• Identify which group your industry focuses on

• Shift focus to overlooked group

• Discover new value factors

Path 4: Look Across Complementary Products/Services

Question: What happens before, during, and after your product is used?

Example: Borders Bookstore (original concept)

• Before: Getting to store
• During: Finding books, reading
• After: Getting coffee, discussing
• Created: Coffee shops in bookstores, reading chairs

Analysis Steps:

• Map the total solution customers seek

• Identify pain points in the journey

• Look at complementary products/services

• Bundle or integrate solutions

Path 5: Look Across Functional-Emotional Appeal

Question: Is your industry competing on function or emotion?

Current Appeal Opportunity

Functional Add emotional elements

Emotional Strip to functional core

Example: Swatch

• Watch industry: Functional (timekeeping)
• Swatch: Emotional (fashion accessory)
• Transformed watches into statement pieces

Analysis Steps:

• Determine industry's current appeal orientation

• Identify elements reinforcing that appeal

• Challenge the orientation

• Add/remove elements to shift appeal

Path 6: Look Across Time

Question: What trends have high probability of impacting your industry?

Trend Criteria:

• Decisive to business (will change industry)

• Irreversible (not a fad)

• Clear trajectory (predictable direction)

Example: Apple iTunes

• Trend: Digital music distribution
• Industry response: Fighting piracy
• Apple response: Created legal, convenient digital music store

Analysis Steps:

• Identify decisive, irreversible trends

• Assess their impact trajectory

• Ask: What will the industry look like when trend plays out?

• Work backward to current opportunity

</six_paths_framework>

<strategy_canvas_analysis>

Building a Strategy Canvas

Step 1: Identify Competitive Factors

List factors your industry competes on:

Factors typically include:

• Price
• Quality/Performance
• Features/Options
• Service level
• Brand/Status
• Convenience
• Technology
• Network effects
• Industry-specific factors

Step 2: Plot the Industry Average

For each factor, score the industry average (1-5 scale):

1 = Very low offering 2 = Below average 3 = Industry average 4 = Above average 5 = Very high offering

Step 3: Plot Key Competitors

Score each major competitor on the same factors.

Step 4: Plot Your Current Position

Score your company's current offering.

Step 5: Design Your Blue Ocean Curve

Apply ERRC to create a divergent value curve:

• Eliminate: Factors scored 0

• Reduce: Factors scored 1-2

• Raise: Factors scored 4-5

• Create: New factors not on current canvas

Strategy Canvas Output Format

Three Characteristics of a Good Strategy

• Focus - Don't try to excel at everything

• Divergence - Your curve looks different from competitors

• Compelling Tagline - Can be explained in one clear phrase

</strategy_canvas_analysis>

<scoring_algorithm>

Blue Ocean Index

Opportunity Score (0-100)

def calculate_blue_ocean_index(analysis): # Market attractiveness (30 points) market_size = score(1-10) * 1.5 # Max 15 growth_potential = score(1-10) * 1.5 # Max 15

# Differentiation potential (30 points)
eliminate_impact = count_eliminates * 5  # Max 15
create_impact = count_creates * 5  # Max 15

# Feasibility (20 points)
resource_availability = score(1-10) * 1.0  # Max 10
execution_complexity = (10 - score(1-10)) * 1.0  # Max 10

# Risk assessment (20 points)
imitation_barrier = score(1-10) * 1.0  # Max 10
adoption_likelihood = score(1-10) * 1.0  # Max 10

return sum([
    market_size, growth_potential,
    eliminate_impact, create_impact,
    resource_availability, execution_complexity,
    imitation_barrier, adoption_likelihood
])

Blue Ocean Viability Matrix

Score Range Assessment Recommendation

80-100 Strong Blue Ocean Prioritize execution

60-79 Promising Refine ERRC, validate assumptions

40-59 Moderate Re-examine paths, find better angle

0-39 Weak Fundamental rethink needed

Key Validation Questions

Before committing:

• Does the strategy create a leap in value for buyers?

• Is the price accessible to the mass of target buyers?

• Can you attain your cost target while maintaining a profit margin?

• What are the adoption hurdles? Have you addressed them upfront?

Three Tiers of Noncustomers

Tier Description Example

First Tier "Soon-to-be" noncustomers on edge of market Waiting for better alternative

Second Tier "Refusing" noncustomers who consciously chose against Don't see value in current offerings

Third Tier "Unexplored" noncustomers in distant markets Never considered the industry

</scoring_algorithm>

<example_session>

Example: AI-Powered Legal Tech for Small Business

User: Apply blue ocean strategy to the legal services market for small businesses

Current Industry Analysis

Competitive Factors (Industry Average):

Factor Score Notes

Lawyer expertise 4 High, premium pricing

Personalization 3 Moderate customization

Price 2 Expensive ($200-500/hr)

Convenience 2 Office visits, scheduling

Speed 2 Slow turnaround

Trust/Brand 3 Varies by firm

Document quality 4 High, human-reviewed

Accessibility 2 Limited hours, locations

Ongoing support 2 Billable hours model

ERRC Analysis

ELIMINATE

• Premium office locations (small business clients don't care)

• Complex hourly billing (unpredictable, stressful)

• Jargon-heavy communication (intimidating to non-lawyers)

REDUCE

• Human lawyer involvement (to review only, not draft)

• Turnaround time (from weeks to minutes for standard docs)

• Price (from $500/document to $49/document)

RAISE

• Accessibility (24/7, web/mobile, no appointments)

• Speed (instant document generation)

• Transparency (clear pricing, plain language)

• Self-service capability (guided questionnaires)

CREATE

• AI-powered document generation (smart templates)

• Subscription compliance monitoring (alerts for renewals, changes)

• Business health dashboard (legal risk score)

• Community Q&A forum (peer support)

• Proactive legal insights (industry-specific updates)

Strategy Canvas

Factor Industry LegalZoom Our Blue Ocean ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Lawyer expertise 4 2 3 Personalization 3 2 4 (Raise) Price 2 4 5 (Reduce cost) Convenience 2 4 5 (Raise) Speed 2 3 5 (Raise) Trust/Brand 3 3 3 Document quality 4 3 4 Accessibility 2 4 5 (Raise) Ongoing support 2 2 4 (Raise) AI assistance 0 1 5 (Create) Compliance monitoring 0 0 5 (Create) Risk dashboard 0 0 4 (Create)

Six Paths Analysis

• Alternative Industries: Tax software (TurboTax model), HR platforms

• Strategic Groups: DIY (templates) vs. Full-service (law firms)

• Buyer Chain: Focus on business owners (users) not office managers (purchasers)

• Complements: Banking, accounting, insurance—integrate

• Functional-Emotional: Currently functional → Add emotional (peace of mind)

• Trends: AI/automation, remote work, gig economy growth

Blue Ocean Index: 82/100

Component Score Max

Market size 14 15

Growth potential 13 15

Eliminate impact 12 15

Create impact 15 15

Resource availability 7 10

Execution complexity 6 10

Imitation barrier 7 10

Adoption likelihood 8 10

Assessment: Strong Blue Ocean opportunity. AI capability creates meaningful barrier. Target first-tier noncustomers (small businesses using templates) and second-tier (businesses avoiding legal services due to cost).

Tagline: "Your AI legal partner—always on, always affordable."

</example_session>

<success_criteria> Analysis is successful when:

• Strategy Canvas clearly shows divergent value curve from competitors

• ERRC Grid identifies at least 2 factors per quadrant

• Six Paths Framework exploration reveals 2+ actionable opportunities

• Blue Ocean Index score calculated with supporting rationale

• Compelling tagline captures the strategy in one phrase

• Three tiers of noncustomers identified with targeting approach </success_criteria>

<activation_triggers> This skill activates for:

• "blue ocean strategy"

• "blue ocean analysis"

• "ERRC framework"

• "strategy canvas"

• "value innovation"

• "market differentiation"

• "competitive strategy"

• "new market space"

• "uncontested market"

• "eliminate reduce raise create"

• "six paths framework"

• "noncustomers analysis" </activation_triggers>