Six Paths Framework

Kim & Mauborgne's Six Paths reframe market boundaries: look across alternative industries, strategic groups, buyer chains, complementary offerings, functional-emotional orientation, and time trends. It expands ideation beyond direct rivals.

Teams stare at the same competitors. Six Paths surfaces noncustomers and analogues — inputs for new curves and segments.

Early strategy workshops when category feels crowded or growth stalled. Before segment map updates.

1. Walk each path with prompts and examples.
2. Capture insights per path — not ideas only.
3. Cluster insights into themes.
4. Translate themes to opportunities on strategy canvas.
5. Validate top themes with customer interviews.

• At least two paths yield non-obvious insights.
• Insights cite analogues outside your industry.
• Linked to opportunity list with owners.

• Treating as brainstorming without evidence follow-up.
• Only path 1 (alternatives) filled.
• Insights too vague to test.

Northvale Systems looked across buyer chain (procurement vs plant managers) and alternatives (shared industry registry) — opened co-op onboarding pilot with two peer manufacturers.

PulseWell looked across alternative industries (insurance wellness programmes) and buyer chain (managers vs HR) — discovered managers as under-served buyer, shifting GTM.

Harbor Consulting used complementary offerings (equipment vendors) and time (reshoring) to open partnered diagnostic channel.

Clearwater Initiative complementary offerings path — paired with local clinics on cholera season messaging, expanding relevance beyond pumps alone.

Canvas six-paths-framework via /strategy, IDs SIX-P1-01 … SIX-P6-01. Feeds Blue Ocean and segment work.