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Scrolling through LinkedIn recently i've noticed something that's both exciting and worrying.

Business owners are more open than ever to learning from others. And I have to say, that's fantastic! But what isn't so fantastic is how many of them treat this.

They're applying all the strategies and advice they uncover in an instant. They're not thinking about it. They're not adjusting it to their own business needs.

This is a major problem.

It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole – no matter how hard you try, sometimes the strategies won't apply to you.

Now I get it, this is a tough pill to swallow. You want it to work. You want to get those same results. So you'll be happy to hear that you're not alone.

Many of us fall into this trap of borrowing strategies without testing their relevance. I for sure used to be one of them! But what if I told you there's a better way?

Today, we're uncovering why blindly applying other people's strategies is always a bad idea. Instead i'm switching your attention to a much better approach: testing strategies.

Let's get into it...

How Borrowed Strategies Backfire

Before we dive in, let's look at a real-world example of how borrowed strategies can backfire.

Where better to look than Ron Johnson, Apple's former Senior Vice President of Retail Operations.

Now Johnson started on a massive high. His approach at Apple was nothing short of legendary!

• $1 billion in sales within two years of launching Apple's retail stores.

• $473,000 revenue per employee in Apple's US stores.

• $3,085 sales per square foot - double second-place retailer, Tiffany & Co.

His secret?

Innovative concepts like the Genius Bar, prioritising customer experience, and minimalist store designs.

Come 2011, a retail giant set its sights on his expertise.

Who gravitated towards his talents the most? None other than the respected J.C. Penney.

But at the time, the American department store chain were having a rough time. They were struggling. They needed a miracle. They wanted Johnson's magic formula.

So they scooped up Johnson. He became their new CEO.

His plan? To transform J.C. Penney using Apple's playbook.

• Out went discounts. In came "everyday low prices."

• Stores got sleek makeovers. New brands replaced old favourites.

All implemented without market research - a Steve Job's like approach.

All bold moves too, but would they pay off?

The result shocked everyone…

• Sales plummeted.

• The stock price tanked.

• Customers fled.

In just 17 months, Johnson was out.

What went wrong?

Johnson did nothing more than borrow the strategies he'd found so much success with at Apple.

He didn't consider J.C. Penney's market. He didn't consider their business model. He didn't consider the market positioning, the target audience, the brand values.

He just went for it! He didn't adapt, iterate, or test the strategies by applying them in ways that suited J.C. Penney.

The lesson? What works for one company might not work for you.

The Power of Testing: Amazon

When it comes to testing strategies, Amazon is the master. They don't just do things out of the blue, they battle-test approaches like their lives depend on it.

There's one key man responsible for this too. You guessed it, it's Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder.

Jeff Bezos didn't pull ideas out of thin air. He put them through the test. Take his famed "two-pizza team" rule. It's not some pointless idea, but a clever strategy.

Bezos' "two-pizza team" rule

When it came to putting teams together, Bezos had a clever rule. This rule, the "two-pizza team" rule, states that teams should be small enough so that two pizzas can feed them all.

But he didn't borrow this idea from somewhere else, he put it to the test.

Amazon experimented with team sizes and structures. They measured everything from productivity all the way to innovation. The result?

Smaller teams were the most effective, leading to the "two-pizza team" rule we know today.

Amazon’s culture of experiment

Amazon's "two-pizza team" rule is part of a much bigger culture of experimentation. So it's no surprises that they didn't stop there. This testing centric approach extends to all aspects of their business:

A/B Testing Madness:

Amazon runs a mind-boggling 12,000 A/B tests per year. That's not a typo – they're always testing, from button colours to pricing strategies.

The $300 Million Button:

Remember when Amazon changed their checkout button from "Register" to "Continue"?

That tiny tweak, born from rigorous testing, earned them an extra $300 million in revenue within the first year after making the change.

Fail Fast, Learn Faster:

Amazon's culture embraces failures as a learning opportunities. They test bold ideas, knowing some will flop - but the winners will be game-changers.

Take their cashier-less "Just Walk Out" technology as an example. It flopped in US Amazon Fresh stores, but it's still thriving in Amazon Go locations.

Similarly, their drone delivery program is evolving. Prime Air is set to launch in the UK and Italy by late 2024, showing Amazon's commitment to innovation and adaptation.

The result? Amazon is now one of the most valuable companies in the world.

The Amazon Flywheel

Amazon's obsession over testing leads to an efficient flywheel effect. Each test helps improve the customer experience, drive traffic, attract sellers, and lower prices. It's an impressive cycle that's propelled Amazon to the top.

So what can you learn from Amazon's testing obsession?

1. Start Small: You don't need 12,000 tests a year. Start with one key area of your business.

2. Measure Everything: Set clear metrics and objectives for success before you start testing.

3. Embrace Failure: Not every test will be a winner. That's okay – each failure is a lesson.

4. Iterate Fast: Use what you learn to refine and improve, then test again.

This whole approach embraces what we know as the "scientific method".

In his book "Think Again," Organisational psychologist Adam Grant makes the benefits of the "scientifc method" clear…

He argues that the most successful leaders approach their strategies in this way. They treat everything they do like scientists approach experiments. They form hypotheses, test them, and adjust based on the results.

This approach has been the backbone of progress in fields from medicine to space exploration. And now, it's revolutionising business too.

Testing vs. Borrowing Strategies

Now we’ve got this far, it’s best we define the clear differences between testing and borrowing strategies.

I’ll keep it nice and simple for you:

Testing strategies:

✅ Involves trial and error

✅ Tailors strategies to your unique business

✅ Helps you understand what truly works for YOU

Borrowing strategies:

❌ Assumes one size fits all

❌ Often leads to disappointment

❌ Lacks personalisation and authenticity

There's no doubt that testing strategies take more time and effort - you'd be a fool to think otherwise. But, putting in this effort pays off!

It helps you uncover what resonates and drives results the most.

Remember, a strong path to sustained success starts with strategic experimentation. So make sure you start testing, and most importantly take action!

The Bottom Line: Embrace Your Inner Scientist

Stop chasing after borrowed advice and start testing your own strategies.

Embrace experimentation.

Find what resonates with YOUR audience.

And don't settle for the same solutions as everyone else.

Remember, what works for others might not work for you. Your business is unique, and your strategy should be too.

As the great management thinker Peter Drucker once said:

So, are you ready to create your future through testing?

Until next week,

Ryan