Companies often assume differentiation requires inventing something new, but some of the best competitive advantages are already hiding inside the products and capabilities they have. In this episode of the Hidden in Plain Sight series, Tom and Mary explore examples ranging from J&J's new Ottava surgical robot to a late-to-market pharmaceutical product to show how looking at different customers, stakeholders, and benefits can uncover meaningful differentiation that was there all along.

In this episode of the Hidden in Plain Sight series, Tom and Mary explore how the Ability to Win scorecard exposes competitive blind spots that seem obvious only after they've been revealed. From an overlooked "cold turkey" competitor in smoking cessation to Intel, Nvidia, Salesforce, and Siebel, they show how looking through the customer's eyes can reveal the competitors, capabilities, and customer segments that truly determine who wins.

Many organizations spend enormous amounts of time evaluating markets, customer segments, and growth initiatives, yet surprisingly few first agree on what makes an opportunity attractive. In this episode, Tom and Mary explain why defining success before evaluating options leads to better strategic decisions, stronger organizational alignment, and fewer debates driven by opinion. Learn how one simple shift in thinking can help your organization uncover opportunities that have been hiding in plain sight.