We have been Blue Ocean Strategists since 2005, when Andi met Renée Mauborgne at the Harvard Club.

Andi Simon: She was going to speak on her new book, Blue Ocean Strategy®, and I was in the elevator with her. I had read her book, loved the research, the theory, and the methodology. I said, “I love your book. It is so anthropological.” Her response: “You should become a Blue Ocean Strategist.” My question: “What is that?” And Renee quietly said: “I don’t know, so let’s make it up!” And that is how I became a fan of Blue Ocean Strategy.

I like to share the story with our clients and the reader because Blue Ocean Strategy is as much about listening and showing up as it is about a strategic theory or methodology. What is essential today, perhaps permanently, has been our ability to step back, like an anthropologist, and “see, feel and think” in new ways.

What is a Blue Ocean Strategy?

Think about your own business or even your profession and career. Do you compete with others to capture a client, or are you competing with other firms to hire employees? Maybe you are facing increased competition for your position and your career? You meet a “red ocean” when you see a world where the competition is keen and your ability to differentiate yourself is a challenge.

It can be for staff or customers, suppliers, products, or services.

If you could find ways to add value innovatively instead of competing and being another, could you create a new market space? You can apply this approach to finding the right employees and retaining them as you can to new markets for your products.

Think about it from these perspectives:

Don’t be an imitator or an incremental improver. Be an innovator.

When you find your new market, create demand for your solution.

Think less about your current customers or employees and more about those you want to have as clients and staff.

Consider the unmet needs of your current clients. What do they ask you for that you say: “We don’t do that.” Maybe that is what you should do.

Whatever you do, make your competition irrelevant. Stop benchmarking yourself. Open a new market.

Don’t waste this moment. The time is right for you to embrace a Blue Ocean Strategic approach.

Innovation Games®

As clients begin to search for their Blue Ocean Strategy, we encourage them to use Innovation Games. The tools open their minds to what is possible. They also allow us to engage clients and potential clients in the creative process to find those unmet needs and capture new markets. Read here to learn more about the tools and how you can try them.

Learn More About Innovation Games

Innovation Games
Webinar

When working with our clients, we have watched their mindsets shift from what they don’t do to what they can do.

The SAMC Book Collection

We can share with you so many of our stories. Our books are designed to help you re-think your story for today and imagine what it could be for the future.

Learn More
Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Women to Spark your Success

If you are interested in testing the Blue Ocean methodology, look at these pages and draw your Strategic Canvas.

We have white papers, videos, blogs, and podcasts to help you on your way. We have conducted over 500 workshops on the topic since 2007 and book up annually to help CEOs and their key leaders realize that, as John Seely Brown once said: “The way forward is all around you, if only you can see it.”

White Papers

Videos

Podcast

Blue Ocean Strategy — Frequently Asked Questions

Blue Ocean Strategy is a proven framework for creating new market space — where competition becomes irrelevant — by uncovering untapped demand and delivering exceptional value to customers.

Traditional strategies focus on outperforming rivals. Blue Ocean Strategy shifts the focus to innovation and differentiation — creating uncontested markets instead of fighting over existing ones.

With rapid technological and market disruption, the best growth opportunities come from reimagining your market and creating value where none existed before.

From startups to Fortune 500 companies, Blue Ocean Strategy applies across industries — manufacturing, healthcare, education, professional services, and more.

We guide teams through structured workshops to map your current market space, identify unmet customer needs and nonusers, redefine value curves using the Strategy Canvas, and build a clear path to your “Blue Ocean.”

We facilitate customized Blue Ocean workshops, provide strategic tools, and support implementation to turn ideas into measurable growth.

No. Most clients build on what they already do well while creating new products, services, or delivery models that open fresh opportunities.

Mindset shifts happen quickly — often within the first workshop. Implementation varies, but most organizations see early wins within 3–6 months.

The biggest risks come from weak alignment or slow execution. With a clear roadmap, leadership commitment, and expert facilitation, these risks are effectively managed.

Key indicators include new revenue streams, higher customer engagement, stronger margins, and a sustainable culture of innovation across the company.

Our Latest Blue Ocean Blog Posts

Blue Ocean Strategy
Key Trends Driving Today’s Blue Ocean Strategy
March 23, 2025

Why you must start to think about a Blue Ocean Strategy for your Business, Now! As we move deeper into 2025, it is a perfect time to think about a [...]

Blue Ocean Strategy Workshop Andi Simon
Time to Navigate Uncertainty with a Blue Ocean Strategy
March 19, 2025

We have several workshops coming up around the topic of Blue Ocean Strategy. Business leaders often reassess their strategies as the economic environment begins to shiver. This pain and uncertainty [...]

women training leadership team
Building an Impactful Leadership Academy; Empowering Emerging Leaders
October 2, 2024

People often ask me what an anthropologist, much less a “corporate anthropologist,” does. I share many of these business stories in our award-winning book, “On the Brink: A fresh lens [...]