What is Strategy?

This short, entertaining guide explains and demystifies Michael Porter’s core strategy concepts with engaging illustrations, a charming and relatable cast of characters, and clear, simple captions. If you need a quick review of–or an introduction to–Michael Porter’s key strategy concepts but don’t have enough time to pore over all his books and articles, What Is Strategy? is for you. It lays out the essential ideas that every manager is expected to know in a short, easy-to-understand, graphic format. Written by Joan Magretta, author of the bestselling book Understanding Michael Porter, this innovative book combines humorous illustrations with an engaging story to explain Porter’s core concepts, including the Five Forces, competitive advantage, industry analysis, value creation, the value chain, differentiation, and relative cost, to name just a few. With a charming and relatable cast of characters–a clever but deadlocked team of managers calls in Professor Porter to help them devise a new strategy–this book brings Porter’s ideas to life and helps you quickly grasp the fundamentals of strategy, whether you’re a seasoned strategist looking to cut through all the new buzzwords or a new manager about to lead your first strategy meeting–