An Ideal Spherical Cow: Why Strategy Fails Outside the Vacuum

Why five strategic questions are not enough

Back in the ’90s, when I was studying math at university, professors loved to joke about “an ideal spherical cow in a vacuum.” They used this bizarre metaphor to describe a great theory that, unfortunately, only works under unrealistically perfect conditions.

Like a plane that only flies in ideal weather.

I see large herds of well-fed spherical cows in business strategy books.

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