Hamilton Helmer

Hamilton Helmer is a strategy theorist, investor, and author of 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy (2016). Founder of Strategy Capital, an investment firm applying the 7 Powers framework. Taught business strategy to Netflix’s top 100 executives; the Netflix case studies in the book and interviews draw on that engagement.

Key ideas

• Power = benefit + barrier: both conditions required; the “moat” metaphor captures only the barrier.
• 7 Powers taxonomy: counter positioning, scale economies, switching costs, network economies, branding, process power, resource power — each with a distinct mechanism.
• Power progression: counter positioning is accessible from day one; branding and process power require years.
• Network economies vs. network effects: network effects are common; network economies (material, durable advantage) are rare.
• AI reconfiguration thesis: the biggest impact of AI will come from class 3 — established companies deeply integrating AI — not from model providers or AI-native startups.

Appearances

See also

• Hamilton Helmer on 7 Powers
• 7 Powers
• DHM Model
• Gibson Biddle on Product Strategy