Frameworks & evidence

Business Frameworks

Frameworks spread because they are memorable and easy to teach. Each entry here asks what decision the framework improves, what evidence supports it, and where it misleads.

Title card reading "BCG's C-Curve: how to turn low-return businesses into value", alongside a line chart of ROCE against indexed capital employed tracing the C-shaped path and a label of 28% five-year TSR.

6/10

StrategyDecisions2 OCT 2026

BCG C-Curve

BCG's C-curve says fix returns before chasing growth. The evidence is a 60-company retrospective screen, so treat it as a portfolio prompt, not proof.

Observational evidence · Boston Consulting Group

Title graphic reading "Porter's Five Forces" beside a simple box diagram showing threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and threat of substitutes feeding into industry rivalry.

6/10

Industry analysisStrategy2 OCT 2026

Porter Five Forces

Industry structure explains a quarter to a third of profit variance, but no located study tests whether running a five forces analysis improves a decision.

Observational evidence · Michael Porter

Framework Atlas title card reading "Wardley Mapping: strategy as position, movement and dependency", beside a stylised Wardley map of a TV company plotting components by value chain visibility and stage of evolution.

6/10

StrategyCapital allocation2 OCT 2026

Wardley Mapping

Wardley Mapping charts components by evolution to expose duplication. The evidence is author practice and single cases, with no outcome test.

Case evidence · Simon Wardley