What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we're rethinking Warren Buffett's "moat" metaphor for competitive advantage.
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders, entrepreneurs, strategists, and innovators who want to build a sustainable competitive advantage instead of competing in a race to the bottom.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…most companies think about competitive advantage as something static, or what Warren Buffett famously coined the "moat" that protects the business from competitors. But Roger argues that this metaphor falls short in this day and age and introduces a more dynamic way to think about strategy: moving through "rooms" ahead of competitors. Roger explores why the best companies stay curious, how customer observation leads to innovation, why benchmarking can actually hurt differentiation, and how asking different questions is often the foundation of breakthrough growth.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Competitive advantage must evolve constantly, it can't stay static.

Customer observation often reveals opportunities data alone misses.

Benchmarking competitors too closely can limit innovation.

Sustainable growth comes from continuously moving to the "next room."

 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…Roger's perspective that competitive advantage is about continually evolving faster than your competitors. His "rooms" metaphor is such a powerful way to visualize innovation, customer learning, and staying ahead by asking smarter questions over time.
 
Running Time: 30:44
 
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Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we discuss how your current actions impact your strategy.
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and teams trying to improve results without getting stuck chasing the "perfect" strategy.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…whether you claim it or not, you already have a strategy. It's reflected in the choices you're making every day. In this episode, Roger and Tiffani unpack one of the biggest misconceptions in business: the belief that strategy is something you create from scratch during a planning session. Roger explains that every company already has a strategy because every organization is making choices about investments, hiring, marketing, products, customers, and priorities. The real question is whether those choices are producing the results you want.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS…
Your current results are the outcome of the strategic choices you've already made.
Strategy fails when leaders expect immediate results from long-term decisions.
Chasing the "perfect strategy" often delays meaningful progress.
Betterment comes from continuously improving the biggest problems first.
Writing down assumptions helps leaders evaluate whether a strategy is truly working over time.
 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…Roger's emphasis on "betterment" over perfection. Instead of trying to engineer one flawless strategy that solves everything forever, he encourages leaders to continuously improve the choices creating the biggest pain points.
 
Running Time: 27:38
 
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Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 
 
I'm thrilled to welcome Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, author, decision strategist, and creator of The Area Method. Her new book, The Human Edge, really challenges a core assumption we're all making right now that more technology automatically leads to better outcomes. What I love about her work is that it's not anti-AI, it's pro-human. She gives us a framework to think more clearly, challenge what we're seeing, and ultimately make decisions with more confidence and intention. Because at the end of the day, the question isn't whether we'll use AI, it is whether we will lead it or it will lead us. 
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone using AI in their work and wondering how to make better decisions without losing their human edge.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…AI can make you faster but it doesn't automatically make you better. Cheryl breaks down why decision-making, not technology, is the true competitive advantage. While AI can accelerate research, generate ideas, and even mirror your voice, it lacks context, judgment, and an understanding of what truly matters to you. Cheryl introduces the concept of "strategic stops" which are intentional moments to reflect, question assumptions, and ensure you're solving the right problem in the first place.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS…
AI is only as good as the context you give it. Without that critical piece, you risk getting answers that sound right but aren't useful.

Strategic pauses ("friction") improve decisions by helping you question assumptions and refine your thinking.

AI can reinforce bias or limit perspective if you don't actively challenge its outputs.

The most important decisions still require human judgment especially when stakes are high and outcomes are uncertain.

The future belongs to strong decision-makers, not just companies with the best AI tools.

 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…Cheryl's perspective that AI isn't replacing thinking but is actually demanding better thinking. The idea that we're all "chief deciders" in our own lives is a powerful reminder: no matter how advanced the technology gets, the responsibility to think critically is still ours.
 
Running Time: 25:56
 
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Cheryl's Book: The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we discuss the concept of what would have to be true for something to be a good idea.
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone frustrated by endless debates who wants a smarter way to make strategic decisions.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…most teams get stuck arguing about what's true when the better question is what would have to be true. In this conversation, Roger reframes one of the most common breakdowns in strategy: teams debating data, context, and "facts" without ever moving forward. Instead of trying to prove what's true today, he introduces a more powerful approach, working backward from a future outcome and asking what conditions must exist for it to succeed.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS…
"What would have to be true" shifts teams from arguing about data to aligning on logic.

Strong strategies often make something true that isn't true yet.

Breaking goals into assumptions exposes whether a plan is realistic or wishful thinking.

 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…the idea that strategy isn't about proving you're right, it's about testing whether your thinking holds up. When you shift from "this is true" to "what would have to be true," the conversation changes completely. It removes ego, surfaces assumptions, and forces clarity. 
 
Running Time: 27:35
 
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Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we discuss how being too busy sabotages your strategy. 
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders and high-performers who feel constantly busy (or burned out) and want a more strategic way to manage their time and energy.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…being busy isn't a badge of honor. It's often a signal that your personal strategy isn't working. In this episode, Roger reframes busyness as a strategic failure, not a productivity win. If you're constantly overwhelmed, it likely means you haven't clearly defined where to focus your time, how to create the most value, and what to stop doing.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS…
Constant busyness is often a sign of a weak or unclear personal strategy.

You have fixed capacity so where you spend your time matters more than how much you work.

Strategy is as much about what you don't do as what you do.

Subtracting low-value work is the fastest way to create more impact.

Investing time upfront (in people, systems, and planning) pays off long-term.

 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…the emphasis on subtraction over addition.So many people think the path to more impact is doing more but Roger shows that the real leverage comes from removing what doesn't matter and doubling down on what does.
 
Running Time: 25:36
 
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