1. PROPER FACILITATION OF
SWOT-TOWS BRAINSTORMING
USING

2. WHEN USED RIGHT, SWOT IS A
POWERFUL BRAINSTORMING
TOOL FOR EXPLORING STRATEGY

3. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY
ENTREPRENEURS DON’T KNOW
HOW TO USE IT PROPERLY

4. AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, SWOT
HAS LOST ITS PRACTICAL VALUE
OVER THE YEARS

5. ME THINKS IT IS TIME FOR A
REFRESHER COURSE

6. A SWOT STARTS BY LOOKING
INWARDS

7. IT ASKS WHAT STRENGTHS &
WEAKNESSES DO YOU BRING TO
THE TABLE

8. BUT IT ALSO CONSIDERS THE
EXTERNAL CONTEXT

9. IT ASKS WHAT OPPORTUNITIES &
THREATS ARE IMPACTING YOU
FROM THE OUTSIDE

10. MISTAKE #1
CONFUSING INTERNAL
CAPABILITIES VERSUS EXTERNAL
DRIVERS

11. LET’S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE…

12. INTERNALEXTERNAL
STRENGTH WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
HERE IS A BLANK SWOT TABLE

13. DRAW ONE OF THESE ON SOME
LARGE FLIP CHART PAPER AND
TAPE IT TO THE WALL (OR JUST
DRAW ON THE WALLS)

14. HAVE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE
TEAM INDEPENDENTLY (WITHOUT
TALKING) WRITE SINGLE IDEAS
USING POST-IT NOTES & STICK
THEM IN THE RELEVANT CELL

15. HAVE EVERYONE READ AS A
GROUP, CLARIFYING AS
REQUIRED, AND MERGING
DUPLICATES

16. WARNING: IN THIS PROCESS, YOU’LL FIND
SOME EXAMPLES OF THREATS &
OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY
INTERNAL RATHER THAN EXTERNAL, SO
YOU’LL NEED TO REPHRASE THEM OR
MOVE THOSE IDEAS TO
STRENGTH/WEAKNESS

17. WARNING: MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE
HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK UP AND THAT
EVERYONE FULLY UNDERSTANDS EACH
IDEA

18. YOU’LL END UP WITH SOMETHING
LIKE THIS

19. INTERNALEXTERNAL STRENGTH WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Unique
domain skills
in our market
Strong existing
client
relationships
Ahead of the
competitors by
6-9 months
Mature R&D
program
Sufficiently
sized financial
war chest
High key-man
risk
Product-
Market fit in
new segments
Internal
politics &
bureaucracy
Still lack
strategic
alliances
Strong, new
entrants
Potential
regulatory
changes Weak macro-
economics
Traditional
competitors
moving down
into our segment
Labour shortage
in local market
Emerging HNW
Insurance
segment
Growth in Asia
Maturity of
Mobile / Social /
IoT
High levels of
cash holdings in
target segment

20. HOWEVER, THOUGH
INTERESTING, THERE WILL BE NO
THOUGHTFUL PRIORITIZATION AT
THIS STAGE

21. MISTAKE #2
NOT PRIORITIZING IDEAS

22. AS A GROUP YOU NEED TO
PRIORITIZE (FORCE-RANK) THE
ITEMS IN EACH CELL

23. TO DO THIS, USE THE WISDOM-
OF-CROWDS

24. START BY GIVING EVERYONE 10
VIRTUAL DOLLARS

25. ASK EACH PERSON TO INVEST
SOME OR ALL OF THEIR $10 INTO
THE IDEAS IN EACH CELL BASED
ON HOW IMPORTANT THEY FIND
THE IDEA
(THE FACILITATOR CAN SERVE AS THE BOOKIE)

26. EVERYONE MUST SPEND ALL
THEIR MONEY

27. YOU CAN SPEND $1 ON AN IDEA,
OR ALL $10, OR ANYTHING IN
BETWEEN
(BUT REMEMBER OTHERS ARE INVESTING TOO, SO SPEND WISELY)

28. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT
THE OUTPUT MIGHT LOOK LIKE
FOR THE STRENGTHS CELL,
GIVEN A TEAM OF 5 ($50)

29. INTERNALEXTERNAL STRENGTH WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Unique
domain skills
in our market
Strong existing
client
relationships
Ahead of the
competitors by
6-9 months
Mature R&D
program
Sufficiently
sized financial
war chest
High key-man
risk
Product-
Market fit in
new segments
Internal
politics &
bureaucracy
Still lack
strategic
alliances
XXX
Strong, new
entrants
Potential
regulatory
changes Weak macro-
economics
Traditional
competitors
moving down
into our segment
Labour shortage
in local market
Emerging HNW
Insurance
segment
Growth in Asia
Maturity of
Mobile / Social /
IoT
High levels of
cash holdings in
target segment
$25
$14
$6
$4
$1

30. AT THE END OF THE EXERCISE,
YOU’LL HAVE GROUP-DEFINED
PRIORITIES

31. GO THROUGH ALL CELLS AND RE-
SORT IDEAS ACCORDING TO THE
PRIORITIES
(FOCUS ON THOSE THAT NATURALLY BUBBLED UP BASED ON INVESTMENT
SIZES. IF YOU HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH TEAM, THERE WILL BE OBVIOUS
WINNERS & LOSERS THANKS TO STATISTICS)

32. INTERNALEXTERNAL STRENGTH WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
1. Strong existing client
relationships
2. Unique domain skills Mature
R&D program
3. Sufficiently sized financial war
chest
4. Mature R&D program
5. Ahead of the competitors
1. High key-man risk
2. Product-Market fit in new segments
3. Still lack strategic alliances
4. Internal politics & bureaucracy
1. Strong, new entrants
2. Traditional competitors moving
down into our segment
3. Labour shortage in local market
4. Weak macro-economics
5. Potential regulatory changes
1. Emerging HNW Insurance
segment
2. Maturity of Mobile / Social /
IoT
3. High levels of cash holdings in
target segment
4. Growth in Asia

33. NOW IT IS TIME TO DEVELOP
ACTIONABLE SMART OBJECTIVES
USING A TOWS DIAGRAM

34. SMART ACTION ITEMS ARE:
SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ACHIEVABLE
RELEVANT (TO STRATEGY)
TIMELY

35. IN A TOWS DIAGRAM, YOU SHIFT
THE SWOT CELLS TO THE
OUTSIDE OF A NEW GRID

36. STRENGTH
1. Strong existing client
relationships
2. Unique domain skills
Mature R&D program
3. Sufficiently sized financial
war chest
WEAKNESS
1. High key-man risk
2. Product-Market fit in new
segments
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Emerging HNW
Insurance segment
2. Maturity of Mobile /
Social / IoT
THREATS
1. Strong, new entrants
2. Traditional
competitors moving
down into our
segment
3. Labour shortage in
local market

37. INSIDE THE GRID, YOU ARE
LOOKING TO DEVELOP SMART
ACTION ITEMS THAT LEVERAGE
THE SWOT ACCORDING TO THE
FOLLOWING RULES

38. SMART ACTIONS TO USE
STRENGTHS TO DELIVER
OPPORTUNITY
SMART ACTIONS TO ENSURE
WEAKNESS DOES NOT UNDERMINE
OPPORTUNITY
SMART ACTIONS TO USE
STRENGTHS TO COUNTER
THREATS
SMART ACTIONS TO ENSURE
WEAKNESS DOES NOT HELP
MANIFEST THREAT
STRENGTH
1. Strong existing client
relationships
2. Unique domain skills
Mature R&D program
3. Sufficiently sized financial
war chest
WEAKNESS
1. High key-man risk
2. Product-Market fit in new
segments
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Emerging HNW
Insurance segment
2. Maturity of Mobile /
Social / IoT
THREATS
1. Strong, new entrants
2. Traditional
competitors moving
down into our
segment
3. Labour shortage in
local market

39. MISTAKE 3
STRATEGY ACTION ITEMS MUST
BE SMART

40. GOOD LUCK, I HOPE YOU FIND
SWOT-TOWS USEFUL AS YOU
DEFINE AND EVOLVE YOUR
STRATEGY

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