Guns are inherently dangerous: They can take a life or save a life. They can cause a fight or prevent one. They can incite a war or encourage peace. Like a loaded gun, good strategy is both powerful and dangerous. And in the right hands at the right time, strategy makes any number of outcomes possible, no matter how unlikely.
Those who live life strategically succeed. They choose the right careers, they make the right financial decisions, they marry the right spouse, and they beat their competition. Strategic thinkers breed confidence, action, and results. They evoke those qualities in the people around them.
Strategy is more than the right point-solution for a specific problem, it’s a process. Sound strategy should drive our decisions – how we spend our finite resources, time & energy. Strategy is something we should always have in our back pockets, even if it can sometimes feel like a loaded gun. (What is Strategy?)
Andrew Bellay & Strategy
Hi, my name is Andrew Bellay and I’m obsessed with strategy. I’m a jack-of-all-trades who’s been working with small and big companies for the past 7 years to launch new software products. Now I want to take what I’ve learned and focus on one thing: Strategy. I’ve been writing all over the web for years on a variety of topics and some of my best pieces have banned, stolen, used for enormous acquisition deals, and read by hundreds of thousands of smart people like you.
Education
I have three degrees, each giving me a foundation in a very different skill universe:
- BS, Chemical Engineering Honors, University of Texas at Austin
- BA, Plan II Honors (Liberal Arts), University of Texas at Austin
- MS, Management Science & Engineering, Stanford University
My hardcore engineering degree taught me to be extremely analytical, rigorous, technical, and precise. My liberal arts degree gave me a strong foundation in logic, communication, and rhetoric, as well as exposure to a broad spectrum of fields. And finally my masters allowed me to focus on new technologies, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and strategy – all from one of the most unique places to study new technology ventures: Stanford.
Find my full bio at andrewbellay.com.
Experience
After grad school, I started a company building software as a consultant. My clients have been small & large, public & private, ranging from the “2 man start-up” to $100mm series-B growth-phase companies and Fortune 500s. I’ve consulted with Stanford University, McKinsey & Company, Versalume (Corning Glass spinoff), the Sacramento Kings (NBA team), ExxonMobil, Shell, UCSF, WELL Health, Doctors on Demand, the University of California System. I’m also an active consultant for GLG – an enormous network of consulting professionals.
Finally, I advise and (occasionally) invest in small companies and start-ups I find promising.
Read Next: What Is Strategy?