From Stone Axe to Strategy
Evolution of a CEO
As a CEO, are you still hunting mammoths—or already in your Renaissance?
My stories are usually dead serious—but not today. This time, it’s the story of a CEO who went through many professional stages, much like humanity evolved from cave drawings to the Balanced Scorecard.
Humanity learned from mistakes and delusions—and so did that CEO.
Stone Age
People in the Stone Age:
Think mostly about the hunt for food. Believe in nature spirits. Hunt with stone axes and cover cave walls with drawings—sure it makes the hunt easier.
CEO in his ‘stone age’:
Thinks mostly about the hunt for profit. Micromanages everything. Worships the spirits of Profit and Cash Flow. His weapons: orders and short-term plans. His cave art: those cheesy office posters with eagles and slogans—convinced it makes the profit hunt easier.
Antiquity
People:
Build cities, trade, invent writing and philosophy. Believe in gods above and the power of ancestors. Create bronze swords, chariots, and laws.
CEO in his ‘antiquity’:
Reads the sacred MBA strategy textbook. Understands everything—except two minor details:
1. What on earth is “strategy”?
2. And how the hell to make one?
Believes in the dark magic of SWOT analysis. Writes his first “strategy,” which looks more like a battle plan. Ends it with a Gantt chart that expires a week after approval. Believes in idols—hangs portraits of Warren Buffett and Richard Branson on the office wall.
Middle Ages
People:
Invent feudalism and crusades. Build castles and march in knightly armor. Establish the first universities. Great religions rise in power.
CEO in his ‘middle ages’:
Drafts grand plans for conquering the universe—none of which ever come true. Runs his first strategy offsite. With his team, they invent Mission, Vision, and Purpose—though somehow they all sound the same and describe how wonderful the company wants to be someday.
Writes a strategy in two chapters: Grand Goals and Operational Plans. And then wonders, baffled, why it doesn’t work.
Dark Ages
People:
Endure the collapse of the economy and civilization. Believe in dark magic and evil spirits. Destroy icons and slip back into more primitive ways of life.
CEO in his Dark Ages (2008):
Slashes costs, feeds the strategy to the shredder. Wages war on icons—takes down the portraits of Buffett and Branson. Slips back to more primitive forms of management.
Believes that if employees drink less free coffee in the office, it will somehow stabilize the company’s finances. Prays to the spirits of Saving Everywhere and Efficiency in the Smallest Things. Crosses his fingers before client meetings. Secretly starts reading business horoscopes.
Meets clients in person a few times a week—and is shocked to discover how little he actually knows about them. Slowly begins to grasp the meaning of “customer needs.”
Renaissance & Enlightenment
People:
Make great discoveries, advance science and art, and launch expeditions across the oceans. Believe that the human being is the center of the universe.
CEO in his ‘Renaissance’:
Gets his second business degree in London. Joins boards and supervisory councils. Finally realizes that strategy is not a stack of pre-made decisions but a set of principles for making them. Studies foresight and understands what it means to think strategically. Discovers that the real point is to create value for customers and other stakeholders—then profit shows up on its own.
Modern Times
People:
Invent globalization, the internet, social networks, and AI—then wonder what on earth to do with them. Believe in democracy, but have no clue how to use it properly.
CEO:
Steps down from the CEO throne and opens his own consulting boutique. Develops a simple yet effective strategy framework of 25 questions. Helps companies as a consultant and their leaders as a coach. Writes a book on strategy and launches the Strategic Seeing Club.
Strategic Seeing Club
Of course, you’ve already guessed this was the story of my evolution as a CEO. I’ve evolved from thinking strategy was just a Gantt chart to understanding that it is how a company acts every day.
I fell so in love with strategy that I decided to make it my life's work. I started helping incumbents and startups on strategy as a consultant, board member, and advisor.
A few years ago, I started sharing my thoughts about strategy online, and that’s how this newsletter came to be. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one evolving. Many other CEOs and business owners were struggling to figure out what strategy actually was—and how to create one.
Now the newsletter is slowly turning into a club—where I’m no longer the only one sharing ideas. You’ve probably noticed the newsletter has a new name, right?
Here’s what’s coming:
New, shorter article formats
Interviews with club members and CEOs of successful companies
Guest posts from experts in related fields
And more
Of course, you can keep just reading the articles and stay on the free tier—totally your call. But you might also find the second or third membership tiers interesting:
Tier 1 — Free Subscription
For curious minds and independent thinkers.
Two-three carefully crafted essay per month.
Deep ideas about strategy, growth, and leadership.
No fluff. No how-to hacks. Just a better lens to see your business
Perfect for those who want to sharpen their thinking without noise.
Tier 2 — Paid Member, $15 per month or $150 per year
For leaders who want to go deeper.
Everything from the free tier
Bonus insights, practical tools, and curated PDF collections of my articles
Access to exclusive private posts
Members-only chat on Substack — join ongoing discussions with other readers.
WhatsApp broadcast channel — receive ultra-brief ideas (1–2 sentences), straight to your phone
Best for those who want structured clarity, meaningful dialogue, and real strategic leverage.
Tier 3 — Founding Member, $240 per year
For my inner circle. Visionaries who want more than just content.
Everything from Tiers 1 & 2
Monthly Zoom meetups: deep conversations on strategy with me and other top leaders
Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions on strategic topics
Early access to all my upcoming books and digital publications
Your name listed (if you wish) among the Founding Members
Being guests on my podcast (in the future)
Not ready to upgrade yet? No problem. You can still take a big step forward:
Join the Architects of Business Growth course, where we’ll go deep into these topics and apply them to your business. Attention! The summer discounts on the course are over—but a new option has arrived: Test Drive. Buy it here and we’ll send you the first lesson of the course by September 9. You'll have until September 23 to decide whether to purchase the whole course. If you choose to buy the course, the $49 will be deducted from the ticket price, so you won't pay twice.
Learn more about how you can achieve significant business growth with my help here.
Watch a two-minute clip from Lesson 4 of the Architects of Business Growth course:
Evolution is a good thing (usually).