The PowerPoint Prison
Executives at Fortune 500 companies spend 80% of their strategic planning time formatting slides, not thinking strategically. After Michael's tech company was acquired in the early 2000s, he joined the corporate strategy team and witnessed this firsthand: brilliant leaders drowning in presentation theater instead of doing real strategic work.
The solution seemed obvious: build interactive tools that eliminate the busywork and focus minds on what humans do best: creative thinking, tough trade-offs, and breakthrough insights. This was years before "AI strategy" became Silicon Valley's latest obsession. We even filed for a patent on human-AI collaboration for strategic work, then released it as prior art to prevent future patent trolling.
Research That Actually Matters
When the creators of Blue Ocean Strategy discovered our interactive approach, they invited the team to INSEAD's research institute. For over a decade in France, we refined the system with real executives facing real strategic challenges. No theoretical frameworks or academic exercises, just tools that worked under pressure.
While most AI tools emerged from computer science labs, VSTRAT developed at one of the world's top business schools, tested by executives who needed results, not demos. When generative AI matured, we integrated it thoughtfully, guided by INSEAD's Dean of Innovation.
Beyond the Hype Cycle
Today's market splits cleanly: those who discovered ChatGPT last Tuesday promising magic, and those building serious solutions based on long-term thinking. While consultants peddle "AI strategy" workshops, VSTRAT represents two decades of methodical development focused on augmenting human strategic thinking, not replacing it.
"We don't replace strategic thinking; we eliminate the busywork so executives can focus on decisions that actually matter."
From Research to Reality
Like General Georges Doriot (the Harvard professor who pioneered venture capital and co-founded INSEAD) we eventually chose commercial impact over academic comfort. Doriot left Harvard's prestige for remote Fontainebleau, focusing on substance over status. We chose Austin over Silicon Valley for the same reason: building real value, not chasing hype cycles.
Elite institutions and experienced strategists use VSTRAT because it solves the fundamental problem: strategic frameworks are brilliant, but executing them shouldn't require armies of consultants and months of PowerPoint production. Good strategy requires good tools, and good tools eliminate friction between insight and action.
"Without action, the world would still be an idea." (General Georges Doriot)
- Michael, Anastassia, & Peter
