Deep Dive into Hamilton Helmer’s “7 Powers”: Strategies for Lasting Competitive Advantage

Kelvin Yeong
4 min readJan 15, 2024

Introduction

Hamilton Helmer’s “7 Powers” is a revolutionary framework in the world of business strategy, offering insights into how companies can achieve sustained competitive advantage. This blog post delves into each power with detailed explanations and real-world examples, offering a comprehensive guide for businesses seeking long-term success.

1. Scale Economies: Maximizing the Power of Size

Scale Economies refer to the cost advantages that businesses gain as their size increases. This concept is rooted in the idea that as a company grows, its per-unit costs decrease due to efficiencies in production, distribution, and purchasing. For example, Walmart, the retail giant, leverages scale economies by buying products in large volumes, which allows it to negotiate lower prices from suppliers. This advantage enables Walmart to offer lower prices to customers, making it difficult for smaller retailers to compete.

2. Network Economies: Creating Value Through Connections

Network Economies arise when the value of a product or service increases with the number of users. A classic example is Facebook. Each new user who joins the social network increases the platform’s value to other users by…

--

--

Kelvin Yeong

Explore the journey of life as a marathon runner, e-commerce business owner, and Big4 Partner. Join me for interesting insights.