Product-org-os blue-ocean

'Apply Blue Ocean Strategy to identify uncontested market space using the Strategy Canvas, ERRC Grid, and Six Paths Framework. Activate when: "blue ocean", "strategy canvas", "ERRC", "eliminate

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/yohayetsion/product-org-os

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/yohayetsion/product-org-os "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/blue-ocean" ~/.claude/skills/yohayetsion-product-org-os-blue-ocean && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/blue-ocean/SKILL.md

source content

Document Intelligence

This skill supports three modes: Create, Update, and Find.

Mode Detection

Signal	Mode	Confidence
"update", "revise", "iterate" in input	UPDATE	100%
File path provided ( `@path/to/blue-ocean.md` )	UPDATE	100%
"create", "new", "find blue ocean" in input	CREATE	100%
"find", "search", "list blue ocean"	FIND	100%
"the strategy canvas", "our blue ocean"	UPDATE	85%
Just a product/market name	CREATE	60%

Threshold: >=85% auto-proceed | 70-84% state assumption | <70% ask user

Mode Behaviors

CREATE: Build strategy canvas comparing current offering vs. competitors, generate ERRC grid, apply Six Paths Framework, identify noncustomers, and recommend blue ocean moves.

UPDATE:

Read existing Blue Ocean analysis (search if path not provided)
Preserve strategy canvas factors, update competitive positions or value curves
Refine ERRC actions based on new insights
Show diff summary: "Updated: [sections]. New factors: [count]. ERRC changes: [summary]."

FIND:

Search paths below for Blue Ocean strategy documents
Present results: product/market, date, path
Ask: "Update one of these, or create new?"

Search Locations

```
strategy/
```
```
product/
```
```
competitive/
```
```
analysis/
```

Gotchas

Value curves must be based on real customer data, not what the company thinks customers value
Blue Ocean strategy is about creating new demand, not stealing share — don't confuse with competitive strategy
Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create framework must have items in ALL four quadrants — an incomplete ERRC is a regular strategy

Vision to Value Phase

Phase 1: Strategic Foundation - Blue Ocean Strategy helps identify uncontested market space before committing to competitive positioning, creating the foundation for differentiated strategic intent.

Prerequisites: Understanding of current market, competitors, and industry factors Outputs used by:

/strategic-intent

(differentiated direction),

/positioning-statement

(unique positioning),

/strategic-bet

(blue ocean move as a bet),

/market-segment

(noncustomer segments)

Methodology

Core Concepts

Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean

Dimension	Red Ocean	Blue Ocean
Market space	Compete in existing	Create uncontested
Competition	Beat the competition	Make competition irrelevant
Demand	Exploit existing	Create and capture new
Value-cost	Tradeoff (choose one)	Break the tradeoff
Strategy	Differentiation OR low cost	Differentiation AND low cost

The Strategy Canvas

The strategy canvas has two axes:

Horizontal: Key factors the industry competes on (e.g., price, features, service, brand, etc.)
Vertical: Offering level (high to low) for each factor

Plot value curves for:

Your current offering
Key competitors
Your proposed blue ocean move

A blue ocean value curve looks fundamentally different from competitors, not just higher.

The ERRC Grid

Action	Question	Effect
Eliminate	Which factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated?	Removes cost, reduces complexity
Reduce	Which factors should be reduced well below the industry standard?	Strips away over-design
Raise	Which factors should be raised well above the industry standard?	Breaks from industry norms
Create	Which factors should be created that the industry has never offered?	Creates new sources of value

Six Paths Framework

Path	Look Across	Question
1. Alternative industries	Industries that serve the same purpose differently	Why do customers choose alternatives over our industry?
2. Strategic groups	Groups within the industry (e.g., premium vs. budget)	Why do customers trade up or down between groups?
3. Buyer groups	The chain of buyers (purchasers, users, influencers)	Which buyer group does the industry focus on? What if we focused on a different one?
4. Complementary offerings	Products/services used before, during, or after yours	What happens before, during, and after using the product? What pain points exist?
5. Functional-emotional appeal	Whether the industry competes on function or emotion	Can we switch from functional to emotional appeal, or vice versa?
6. Time/Trends	Trends that are decisive to the industry	What trends have high probability and irreversible trajectory?

Three Tiers of Noncustomers

Tier	Description	Distance from Market
First	"Soon-to-be" noncustomers on the market edge	Closest; use offerings minimally, ready to leave
Second	"Refusing" noncustomers	Consciously rejected the market's offerings
Third	"Unexplored" noncustomers	In distant markets; never considered the industry

Output Structure

# Blue Ocean Strategy: [Product / Market]

**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Owner**: [Who owns this analysis]
**Industry**: [Industry being analyzed]
**Current strategic posture**: [Red ocean / Partial blue / Blue ocean]

## Executive Summary

[2-3 paragraph overview: current competitive landscape, the blue ocean opportunity identified, and the proposed strategic move]

## Current Strategy Canvas

### Industry Competing Factors

| Factor | Industry Importance | Your Offering | Competitor A | Competitor B | Industry Average |
|--------|-------------------|---------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------|
| [Factor 1] | High/Med/Low | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] |
| [Factor 2] | High/Med/Low | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] |
| [Factor 3] | High/Med/Low | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] |
| [Factor 4] | High/Med/Low | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] |
| [Factor 5] | High/Med/Low | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] |
| [Factor 6] | High/Med/Low | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] | [1-10] |

### Value Curve Visualization


### Current Canvas Analysis
[What does the canvas reveal? Are all curves similar (red ocean)? Where are there convergence patterns?]

## ERRC Grid

### Eliminate

| Factor | Why Eliminate | Cost Saved | Customer Impact |
|--------|-------------|------------|-----------------|
| [Factor] | [Industry takes this for granted but customers don't value it] | [Impact] | [Minimal/None] |

### Reduce

| Factor | Reduce To | Why | Cost Saved | Customer Impact |
|--------|----------|-----|------------|-----------------|
| [Factor] | [New level] | [Over-designed relative to actual need] | [Impact] | [Acceptable] |

### Raise

| Factor | Raise To | Why | Investment | Customer Impact |
|--------|---------|-----|------------|-----------------|
| [Factor] | [New level] | [Industry standard is too low for buyer utility] | [Impact] | [Significant] |

### Create

| New Factor | Description | Why Unprecedented | Investment | Customer Impact |
|-----------|------------|-------------------|------------|-----------------|
| [Factor] | [What it is] | [Industry has never offered this] | [Impact] | [Transformative] |

### ERRC Validation
- Does eliminating/reducing offset the cost of raising/creating? [Yes/No/Partially]
- Does the new value curve diverge from industry standard? [Yes/No]
- Is the new curve focused, divergent, and compelling? [Assessment]

## Proposed Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas

| Factor | Industry Average | Your Blue Ocean Move |
|--------|-----------------|---------------------|
| [Eliminated factor] | [X] | 0 |
| [Reduced factor] | [X] | [Lower] |
| [Existing factor] | [X] | [Same] |
| [Raised factor] | [X] | [Higher] |
| [Created factor] | 0 | [New level] |

### New Value Curve
[Description of how the new curve is fundamentally different from the industry]

## Six Paths Analysis

### Path 1: Alternative Industries
- **Alternatives examined**: [What alternatives serve the same purpose?]
- **Key insight**: [Why customers choose alternatives]
- **Blue ocean opportunity**: [How to incorporate alternative industry strengths]

### Path 2: Strategic Groups
- **Groups identified**: [Premium, mid-market, budget, etc.]
- **Key insight**: [Why customers move between groups]
- **Blue ocean opportunity**: [How to bridge group boundaries]

### Path 3: Buyer Groups
- **Current industry focus**: [Purchaser / User / Influencer]
- **Overlooked buyer**: [Which group is being ignored?]
- **Blue ocean opportunity**: [What changes if we focus on the overlooked buyer?]

### Path 4: Complementary Offerings
- **Before/during/after usage**: [What pain points exist in the broader experience?]
- **Key insight**: [Untapped complementary needs]
- **Blue ocean opportunity**: [How to solve the complementary pain]

### Path 5: Functional-Emotional Appeal
- **Current industry appeal**: [Functional / Emotional]
- **Key insight**: [What happens if we switch?]
- **Blue ocean opportunity**: [How to redefine the appeal]

### Path 6: Time/Trends
- **Decisive trends**: [Trends with high probability and irreversible trajectory]
- **Key insight**: [How these trends reshape buyer value]
- **Blue ocean opportunity**: [How to ride the trend ahead of competitors]

### Most Promising Path(s)
[Which 1-2 paths offer the strongest blue ocean opportunity and why]

## Noncustomer Analysis

### First Tier: Soon-to-Be Noncustomers
- **Who**: [Description]
- **Why leaving**: [What pushes them to the edge]
- **How to pull them in**: [What would change their mind]

### Second Tier: Refusing Noncustomers
- **Who**: [Description]
- **Why refusing**: [What made them consciously reject]
- **How to convert**: [What would make them reconsider]

### Third Tier: Unexplored Noncustomers
- **Who**: [Description]
- **Why unexplored**: [Why the industry never targeted them]
- **How to reach**: [What new value proposition would attract them]

### Noncustomer Demand Potential
[Which tier represents the largest untapped demand? What would it take to unlock it?]

## Blue Ocean Move Recommendation

### The Proposed Move
[Clear statement of the blue ocean strategy: what to eliminate, reduce, raise, and create to unlock new demand]

### Value Innovation Test
- Does this break the value-cost tradeoff? [Yes/No]
- Does it create new demand (not just steal share)? [Yes/No]
- Does it make competition irrelevant? [Yes/No]
- Is the value curve divergent, focused, and compelling? [Yes/No]

### Key Risks
| Risk | Mitigation | Impact if Unmitigated |
|------|------------|----------------------|
| [Risk 1] | [Mitigation] | High/Med/Low |
| [Risk 2] | [Mitigation] | High/Med/Low |

### Assumptions to Validate
| # | Assumption | Validation Method | Timeline |
|---|-----------|------------------|----------|
| 1 | [Assumption] | [Method] | [When] |
| 2 | [Assumption] | [Method] | [When] |

## Next Steps

- [ ] Validate ERRC assumptions via `/assumption-map`
- [ ] Define strategic intent around the blue ocean move via `/strategic-intent`
- [ ] Frame as a strategic bet via `/strategic-bet`
- [ ] Test noncustomer hypotheses via `/experiment-design`
- [ ] Develop positioning for the new market space via `/positioning-statement`
- [ ] Identify target noncustomer segments via `/market-segment`

Instructions

Start by mapping the current industry's competing factors (the strategy canvas horizontal axis)
Plot your offering and 2-3 key competitors on the canvas
Look for convergence: if all value curves look similar, the industry is a red ocean
Work through the ERRC grid systematically: eliminations and reductions must offset raises and creations
Apply at least 3 of the 6 Paths to generate blue ocean ideas
Always analyze noncustomers: the biggest opportunities often lie outside current customers
Validate that the proposed move breaks the value-cost tradeoff (not just differentiation at higher cost)
Use WebSearch for competitive data and industry analysis when available
Save output as markdown file
Offer
```
/strategic-bet
```
to frame the blue ocean move as a formal strategic bet or
```
/assumption-map
```
for validation

Integration

Links to
```
/strategic-intent
```
(blue ocean move defines strategic direction)
Links to
```
/strategic-bet
```
(frame the move as a bet with explicit assumptions)
Links to
```
/positioning-statement
```
(positioning for the new market space)
Links to
```
/market-segment
```
(noncustomer segments as new targets)
Links to
```
/assumption-map
```
(validate ERRC and noncustomer assumptions)
Links to
```
/experiment-design
```
(test noncustomer hypotheses)
Links to
```
/competitive-landscape
```
(input for current strategy canvas)
Links to
```
/context-save
```
(save for tracking execution of the blue ocean move)