Blue Ocean Strategy and The Tawny Scrawny Lion

I’m at home this morning looking after my 2 year old daughter who’s too ill to go to child care. My wife will be spelling me off this afternoon whilst I go see a client.

Inspired by Justin Sullivan’s article on benchmarking diapers (Thanks for pointer, Jason), I’ve decided to share the Blue Ocean Strategy lesson contained in the Golden Book, the Tawny Scrawny Lion.

The Tawny Scrawny Lion, originally published in 1952, tells the tale of a lion whose ferocious appetite results from having to chase his prey. He suggests a deal with the animals where they allow themselves to be eaten thus reducing his calorie expenditure and minimising the number of animals he’ll need to eat.

The animals (monkeys, kangaroos, zebras, bears, camels and elephants – the story must take place on Gondwanaland) are not particularly happy about this but see no other option, so they trick a rabbit into being the first meal. The rabbit entices the lion back to his place by describing his five fat sisters and four fat brothers. Upon their arrival, the rabbit and his siblings feed the lion carrot and fish soup with berries for dessert. The lion is so full after eating the soup and berries that he doesn’t eat the rabbits and comes back to their place every day for his meals rather than chasing and eating prey.

In this story, the rabbit's innovation changes the value proposition for himself and for the lion, dramatically improving both their outcomes as well as the outcomes for the broader market. Now there’s a happy ending!