Julian lechnerandClaude Opus 5.5
4c93437e59
Keep the decision steps in SKILL.md and move catalogs, examples, and checklists verbatim to references/ to reduce the context cost of loading the skill. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
74 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
74 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
# Foundational Thinking Models
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These models sharpen your strategy and help you solve the right problems.
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## First Principles
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Break problems down to basic truths and build solutions from there. Instead of copying competitors, ask "why" repeatedly to find root causes. Use the 5 Whys technique to tunnel down to what really matters.
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**Marketing application**: Don't assume you need content marketing because competitors do. Ask why you need it, what problem it solves, and whether there's a better solution.
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## Jobs to Be Done
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People don't buy products—they "hire" them to get a job done. Focus on the outcome customers want, not features.
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**Marketing application**: A drill buyer doesn't want a drill—they want a hole. Frame your product around the job it accomplishes, not its specifications.
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## Circle of Competence
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Know what you're good at and stay within it. Venture outside only with proper learning or expert help.
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**Marketing application**: Don't chase every channel. Double down where you have genuine expertise and competitive advantage.
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## Inversion
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Instead of asking "How do I succeed?", ask "What would guarantee failure?" Then avoid those things.
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**Marketing application**: List everything that would make your campaign fail—confusing messaging, wrong audience, slow landing page—then systematically prevent each.
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## Occam's Razor
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The simplest explanation is usually correct. Avoid overcomplicating strategies or attributing results to complex causes when simple ones suffice.
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**Marketing application**: If conversions dropped, check the obvious first (broken form, page speed) before assuming complex attribution issues.
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## Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
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Roughly 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Identify and focus on the vital few.
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**Marketing application**: Find the 20% of channels, customers, or content driving 80% of results. Cut or reduce the rest.
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## Local vs. Global Optima
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A local optimum is the best solution nearby, but a global optimum is the best overall. Don't get stuck optimizing the wrong thing.
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**Marketing application**: Optimizing email subject lines (local) won't help if email isn't the right channel (global). Zoom out before zooming in.
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## Theory of Constraints
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Every system has one bottleneck limiting throughput. Find and fix that constraint before optimizing elsewhere.
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**Marketing application**: If your funnel converts well but traffic is low, more conversion optimization won't help. Fix the traffic bottleneck first.
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## Opportunity Cost
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Every choice has a cost—what you give up by not choosing alternatives. Consider what you're saying no to.
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**Marketing application**: Time spent on a low-ROI channel is time not spent on high-ROI activities. Always compare against alternatives.
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## Law of Diminishing Returns
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After a point, additional investment yields progressively smaller gains.
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**Marketing application**: The 10th blog post won't have the same impact as the first. Know when to diversify rather than double down.
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## Second-Order Thinking
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Consider not just immediate effects, but the effects of those effects.
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**Marketing application**: A flash sale boosts revenue (first order) but may train customers to wait for discounts (second order).
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## Map ≠ Territory
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Models and data represent reality but aren't reality itself. Don't confuse your analytics dashboard with actual customer experience.
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**Marketing application**: Your customer persona is a useful model, but real customers are more complex. Stay in touch with actual users.
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## Probabilistic Thinking
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Think in probabilities, not certainties. Estimate likelihoods and plan for multiple outcomes.
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**Marketing application**: Don't bet everything on one campaign. Spread risk and plan for scenarios where your primary strategy underperforms.
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## Barbell Strategy
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Combine extreme safety with small high-risk/high-reward bets. Avoid the mediocre middle.
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**Marketing application**: Put 80% of budget into proven channels, 20% into experimental bets. Avoid moderate-risk, moderate-reward middle.
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