Navigating the Oceans (The Study of Blue Ocean Strategy)

This is Episode 48 of Confidential Remarks, and as always, this message is intended for a private audience.Today I want to talk about navigating the oceans.Not just the red ocean. Not just the blue ocean. But understanding the difference — and why it matters now more than ever.As many of you know, since October of 2017 my entire business model has been built around what’s commonly known as a Blue Ocean Strategy. Some call it the Strategy of Preeminence. The terminology is less important than the principle. The principle is simple: stop fighting for position in crowded markets and instead create space where competition becomes irrelevant.Most businesses operate in red oceans. Crowded markets. Compressed margins. Endless noise. Everyone selling something similar, trying to outspend or outshout the other.That path is exhausting.Blue oceans are different. They are intentionally designed. They are created by redefining value, reframing positioning, and shifting the conversation entirely. You don’t win by being better. You win by being different in a way that makes comparison unnecessary.This is not theory for me. It’s how we’ve operated. It’s how we built leverage. It’s how we protected margin. It’s how we maintained strategic control.And as we move forward — especially within the Open Access process — this distinction becomes even more important.Open Access is not about entering an existing lane and competing harder. It’s about designing a new lane altogether. It’s about structuring opportunity in a way that creates demand rather than chasing it.If you understand that, you understand the future.Navigating the oceans is a strategic decision. You either fight sharks, or you chart new waters.