I told him track market to spot changes

He said, “YouTube disrupted TV from outside.”

I said, once you stop sharpening knife, it loses its edge.

“What do you mean?” asked the managing partner again.

When you lack awareness of what's going on, you lose your edge.

Before I answer why TV got disrupted by youtube, let’s first categorize our business world.

Any business operates across three dimensions:

1. Front-stage: customers and the market.
2. Back-stage: internal capabilities and operations.
3. Linked-stage: Connects the front and back stage.

By tracking shifts in your sector, you can identify change and align it with the appropriate dimension of your business.

That's when the managing partner, trying to challenge me, asked:

“What about changes outside your industry?”

What would you reply? (My reply in comments).
— — —

The problem is that many businesses focus on just one area.

They only pay attention to apple-to-apple comparisons.

They've forgotten what it means to come together as a company to create value. This is something consulting firms should understand.

We grow or decline based on how we view the world.

P.S Do you think apple-to-apple comparisons are obsolete in business? Big time yes.

P.S.S I'm building a business strategy tool that uses real-time trends to help companies like yours discover new opportunities and stay ahead—based on your industry, size, and region.
It also provides a clear roadmap, required resources, and actionable steps.
Interested? Just reply or reach out.

Thanks for reading,

Ahmed