Kaihan Krippendorf, former McKinsey consultant and founder of OutThinker Networks, has helped global companies generate over $3 billion in new revenue through strategic innovation. 

Drawing from ancient Chinese stratagems, his work reveals timeless principles behind modern business tactics. Kaihan discusses how AI is accelerating strategic cycles, reshaping product-market fit, and empowering organisations to experiment faster. He sees employee-centric cultures as the next competitive frontier and urges mid-market firms to rethink value delivery in a digital age. His message: better businesses adapt quickly, think differently, and empower people at every level. 

Takeaways  

• Strategy is less about fixed plans and more about adaptability and optionality in uncertain environments. 
• Breakthrough ideas often come from ancient patterns, not entirely new strategic concepts. 
• Getting closer to the point of customer-demand creates an unmatched competitive advantage. 
• AI accelerates every stage of strategy, from ideation to execution and market feedback. 
• Culture and employee engagement are becoming as critical as customer focus in strategic success. 
• Mid-market companies can outthink competitors by moving faster, not by being bigger. 
• Empowering employees with entrepreneurial freedom dramatically improves retention, innovation, and financial performance. 
• Digital services around a core product often carry more value than the product itself. 

Follow Kaihan Krippendorf
https://kaihan.net/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaihankrippendorff/

Kaihan Krippendorf’s books
Proximity: How Coming Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life https://amzn.to/42wIaK6  
Outthink the Competition: How Innovative Companies and Strategists See Options Others Ignore https://amzn.to/3XZ99Na  
Driving Innovation from Within: A Guide for Internal Entrepreneurs https://amzn.to/4imQfal  

Books recommended
Competition Demystified: A Radically Simplified Approach to Business Strategy by Bruce Greenwald https://amzn.to/43zSRMy  
Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism by Bhu Srinivasan https://amzn.to/4mOzyYW  

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