Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim & Mauborgne: How to Win by Swimming Alone

Let’s be honest: most business advice feels like a never-ending episode of Shark Tank—all elbows, stress, and squabbling over slivers of market pie. But what if the real flex wasn’t fighting harder… but sailing smarter?

Enter Blue Ocean Strategy, the business classic that invites you to ditch the bloody waters of competition (ahem red oceans) and chart your own course into wide, serene, opportunity-filled blue seas. It’s less about beating the competition, and more about making them irrelevant. Now that’s our kind of plot twist.

And this week? With the economy still riding the AI-tidal wave and small businesses looking to stand out amid all the noise, there’s never been a better time to color outside the lines​.

Originally published in 2005 and now updated for the modern age, Blue Ocean Strategy flips the entire concept of market competition on its head. Instead of clawing your way through saturated industries (red oceans), Kim and Mauborgne encourage businesses to create new demand in untapped spaces.

From Cirque du Soleil to Airbnb, they unpack how smart innovation and value differentiation can make you the only boat in the water—rather than the 12th jet ski in a crowded race.

Best of all? Their insights aren’t just for Fortune 500 execs. Whether you’re a creative entrepreneur, solo founder, or side hustler, this strategy will have you rethinking your lane—and maybe building your own highway.

If you’re:

📌 Launching a new idea and don’t want to drown in the competition
📌 Feeling boxed in by “how it’s always been done”
📌 Trying to grow a brand, business, or bold vision without burning out...

Then this episode is your strategic life vest. We distill the key concepts of Blue Ocean Strategy, share real-world examples, and offer ideas on how you can shift from hustling for scraps to creating your own table.

Kim and Mauborgne are professors of strategy and international business at INSEAD—aka where CEOs go to learn how not to be basic. They spent years studying companies across industries and countries to discover what made certain businesses blow up while others faded out. Their work has influenced leaders around the world, and Blue Ocean Strategy is considered a modern-day bible for innovation and creative disruption.

✨ Fun Fact ✨

The term “blue ocean” came to the authors after realizing that successful companies often don’t fight over market share—they redefine the market entirely. Think: Netflix vs. Blockbuster, or Canva vs. Photoshop. Turns out, the calmest waters can lead to the biggest waves.

🎙️Listen to whttr on

📚Purchase Blue Ocean Strategy on Amazon

⁠🎧Listen to the audiobook on Audible

A gentle nudge to stop competing—and start imagining.

_{Stay Connected}

Alright, innovators, that’s your Saturday briefing. Go forth and disrupt wisely. We’ll see you Tuesday with another literary power play. Until then:

Who has time to read? We do—especially when the map says here be treasure.

The WHTTR Crew

Disclaimer: Some links contain affiliate links, meaning whttr will earn a small commission when you purchase through our link at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.