Product-org-os seven-powers

Document Intelligence

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

Mode Detection

@path/to/seven-powers.md

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

Mode Behaviors

CREATE: Assess all seven powers for the subject company/product, evaluate Benefit and Barrier for each, map power availability to lifecycle stage.

UPDATE:

1. Read existing 7 Powers analysis (search if path not provided)
2. Preserve company context and lifecycle stage assessment
3. Update individual power evaluations based on new competitive data
4. Show diff summary: "Updated: [powers re-assessed]. Lifecycle stage: [unchanged/shifted]."

FIND:

1. Search paths below for 7 Powers documents
2. Present results: company/product, date, strongest power, path
3. Ask: "Update one of these, or create new?"

Search Locations

• strategy/

• competitive/

• product/

• analysis/

Gotchas

• A power requires BOTH a Benefit AND a Barrier. Having a cost advantage (Benefit) without something preventing competitors from replicating it (Barrier) is NOT a power
• Process Power is the hardest to claim honestly — it requires organizational capabilities that evolved over years, not just good engineering. Most companies claiming Process Power actually have a temporary execution lead
• Counter-Positioning only works when the incumbent's EXISTING business model prevents them from responding. If they CAN copy you without cannibalizing their core, it is not Counter-Positioning
• Do not confuse first-mover advantage with a power. Being first is not a power unless it creates one of the seven (e.g., first-mover creating Network Economies or Switching Costs)

Vision to Value Phase

Phase 1: Strategic Foundation - The 7 Powers framework identifies which strategic powers a company possesses or can build, informing where to invest for long-term defensibility.

Prerequisites: Understanding of the company's market position, competitive landscape, and business model Outputs used by:

/strategic-intent

/strategic-bet

/competitive-landscape

/positioning-statement

Methodology

The Dual Test

Every power must pass two tests:

Both are required. A Benefit without a Barrier is a fleeting advantage. A Barrier without a Benefit is irrelevant.

The Seven Powers

1. Scale Economies

Description: A business in which per-unit cost declines as production volume increases.

2. Network Economies

Description: The value of a product or service increases as more users adopt it.

3. Counter-Positioning

Description: A newcomer adopts a superior business model that the incumbent cannot copy because it would damage their existing business.

4. Switching Costs

Description: The value loss a customer would experience by switching to an alternative product.

5. Branding

Description: A durable attribution of higher value to an objectively identical offering, based on historical information about the seller.

6. Cornered Resource

Description: Preferential access at attractive terms to a coveted asset that independently enhances value.

7. Process Power

Description: Embedded company organization and activity sets that enable lower costs and/or superior product, which can only be matched by an extended commitment.

Power Availability by Lifecycle Stage

Key insight: You cannot build Scale Economies before you have scale. You cannot build Branding before sustained market presence. Pursue powers that match your lifecycle stage.

Helmer's Strategy Equation

Strategy = Route to continuing Power in significant markets

This means:

• Route: An executable path, not a wish
• Continuing: Durable, not temporary
• Power: One of the seven, with both Benefit and Barrier
• Significant markets: Large enough to matter

Output Structure

# 7 Powers Analysis: [Company/Product]

**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Owner**: [Who owns this analysis]
**Lifecycle Stage**: [Origination / Takeoff / Stability]
**Primary Power**: [Strongest power, if any]

---

## Company Context

**Company**: [Name]
**Market**: [Primary market]
**Stage**: [Origination / Takeoff / Stability]
**Business model**: [Brief description]

---

## Power Assessment

### 1. Scale Economies

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe cost advantage from scale] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe what prevents competitors from achieving same scale] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence supporting or refuting this power]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

### 2. Network Economies

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe value increase from user growth] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe network advantage competitors cannot replicate] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

### 3. Counter-Positioning

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe superior business model economics] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe why incumbents cannot respond without self-damage] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

### 4. Switching Costs

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe customer retention advantage] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe what makes switching costly for customers] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

### 5. Branding

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe pricing premium or conversion advantage] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe time/effort required to build equivalent brand] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

### 6. Cornered Resource

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe value from the resource] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe why competitors cannot access equivalent resource] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

### 7. Process Power

| Test | Assessment |
|------|-----------|
| **Benefit present?** | [Yes/No — describe execution advantage from organizational processes] |
| **Barrier present?** | [Yes/No — describe why competitors cannot replicate the process quickly] |
| **Power exists?** | [Yes / Emerging / No] |

**Evidence**: [Specific evidence]
**Strength**: [Strong / Moderate / Weak / Absent]

---

## Power Summary

| Power | Benefit | Barrier | Exists? | Strength | Lifecycle Match |
|-------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------------|
| Scale Economies | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No — available at current stage?] |
| Network Economies | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No] |
| Counter-Positioning | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No] |
| Switching Costs | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No] |
| Branding | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No] |
| Cornered Resource | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No] |
| Process Power | [Y/N] | [Y/N] | [Y/E/N] | [S/M/W/A] | [Yes/No] |

---

## Power Progression Plan

### Current Powers (Defend)
| Power | Threat to Power | Defense Strategy |
|-------|----------------|-----------------|
| [Current power] | [What could erode it] | [How to protect] |

### Emerging Powers (Invest)
| Power | Current Gap | Investment Needed | Timeline |
|-------|-----------|-------------------|----------|
| [Emerging power] | [What is missing for full Benefit + Barrier] | [What to invest in] | [Lifecycle-appropriate?] |

### Unavailable Powers (Do Not Pursue Yet)
| Power | Why Unavailable | When It Becomes Available |
|-------|----------------|-------------------------|
| [Power] | [Lifecycle mismatch or structural reason] | [What must change] |

---

## Strategic Implications

### Route to Power
[Based on the analysis, what is the company's most viable route to continuing power in its significant market?]

### Key Risks
| Risk | Impact on Power | Mitigation |
|------|----------------|-----------|
| [Risk 1] | [Which power it threatens] | [How to mitigate] |
| [Risk 2] | [Which power] | [Mitigation] |

### Competitor Power Comparison (Optional)

| Power | Us | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|-------|----|-------------|-------------|
| Scale Economies | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |
| Network Economies | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |
| Counter-Positioning | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |
| Switching Costs | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |
| Branding | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |
| Cornered Resource | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |
| Process Power | [Strength] | [Strength] | [Strength] |

## Assumptions to Validate

| # | Assumption | Power | Validation Method | Impact if Wrong |
|---|-----------|-------|------------------|-----------------|
| 1 | [Assumption] | [Power] | [Method] | High/Med/Low |
| 2 | [Assumption] | [Power] | [Method] | High/Med/Low |

## Next Steps

- [ ] Validate power assessments with competitive data via `/competitive-landscape`
- [ ] Frame power-building initiatives as strategic bets via `/strategic-bet`
- [ ] Build business case for power investments via `/business-case`
- [ ] Map competitive moat comparisons via `/competitive-analysis`
- [ ] Save analysis to context registry via `/context-save`

Instructions

1. Start by understanding the company's lifecycle stage (Origination, Takeoff, or Stability) — this determines which powers are available
2. Check prior context: Run

   /context-recall [company name]

   for existing competitive analysis and strategic decisions
3. Assess ALL seven powers, even those that clearly do not apply — the exercise reveals blind spots and prevents confirmation bias
4. For each power, apply the dual test: does the Benefit exist AND does the Barrier exist?
5. Be rigorous — most companies have 0-2 real powers. Claiming more typically means the bar is too low
6. Map power availability to lifecycle stage — do not recommend building powers that are not yet available
7. Identify the most viable route to continuing power in a significant market
8. Save output as markdown file
9. Offer

   /strategic-bet

   to frame power-building as a strategic bet

Integration

• Links to

  /strategic-intent

  (power analysis informs strategic direction)
• Links to

  /strategic-bet

  (frame power-building as bets)
• Links to

  /competitive-landscape

  (moat-aware competitive mapping)
• Links to

  /competitive-analysis

  (deep competitive comparison)
• Links to

  /positioning-statement

  (power-backed positioning)
• Links to

  /porter-five-forces

  (complementary industry structure analysis)
• Links to

  /business-case

  (investment case for building powers)
• Links to

  /context-save

  (save power assessment to organizational memory)