# blue-ocean-strategy

A skill that walks an idea through blue ocean frameworks: strategy canvas, ERRC grid, six paths, buyer utility map. Useful when the market is crowded and you can't see a way out.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 5300 installs · ★ 2508
- Author: wondelai
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/wondelai/skills/tree/HEAD/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/blue-ocean-strategy

## What it does

The skill hooks into your agent and fires on its own when the conversation mentions "blue ocean", "red ocean", "strategy canvas", "ERRC", "value innovation", "non-customers", or complaints about a crowded market and a price war. From there the agent runs the method instead of handing out generic advice.

Five sections sit inside. Red ocean versus blue ocean, value innovation, the strategy canvas with a plotted curve, the Four Actions Framework (Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create), and the Six Paths. There is a scoring pass: a strategy is graded against five diagnostic rows and lands on a band from 0 to 10, with the agent naming which rows fail and what ERRC or Six-Paths moves close the gap. Reference files carry worked cases — Cirque du Soleil, Netflix, Yellow Tail, Nintendo Wii, IKEA, Zoom, Khan Academy.

One caveat: the skill grades a strategy, it does not replace one. Real strategy formulation and bad-strategy detection live in `good-strategy-bad-strategy`, tech adoption in `crossing-the-chasm`, product positioning in `obviously-awesome`. Worth installing if you work on product or a new market entry.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add wondelai/skills --skill blue-ocean-strategy -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/blue-ocean-strategy/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add wondelai/skills --skill blue-ocean-strategy -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add wondelai/skills --skill blue-ocean-strategy -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install wondelai/skills blue-ocean-strategy
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add wondelai/skills --skill blue-ocean-strategy -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/wondelai/skills --path blue-ocean-strategy
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add wondelai/skills --skill blue-ocean-strategy -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/wondelai/skills/tree/HEAD/blue-ocean-strategy/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- figure out how a product differs from rivals in a crowded market
- plot a strategy canvas and spot where your curve matches everyone else's
- run an idea through the ERRC grid and find factors to eliminate
- judge whether an idea is real value innovation or plain differentiation
- find non-customers outside the current buyer base

## Example prompts
- Run my idea through blue ocean strategy — the market is crowded and I can't see how to stand out
- Plot a strategy canvas for my product and compare it with competitors
- Take my product through the ERRC grid and tell me what to eliminate and what to create

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: c0d91b3f3091c654.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE c0d91b3f3091c654
```text
---
name: blue-ocean-strategy
description: 'Create uncontested market space using value innovation instead of competing head-to-head. Use when the user mentions "blue ocean", "red ocean", "strategy canvas", "ERRC framework", "value innovation", "non-customers", "buyer utility map", "the market is too crowded", "how do we stand out", or "escape the price war". Also trigger when exploring a new market category, or finding underserved or non-customers. Covers the Four Actions Framework, Six Paths, buyer utility map, and value-cost trade-offs. For real strategy formulation and bad-strategy detection, see good-strategy-bad-strategy. For tech adoption strategy, see crossing-the-chasm. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.4.1"
---

# Blue Ocean Strategy Framework

Strategic framework for creating uncontested market space that makes the competition irrelevant, based on the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost.

## Core Principle

**Don't compete in bloody red oceans. Create blue oceans of uncontested market space.** Most companies fight for share in existing industries; winners create new market space where competition is irrelevant by delivering a leap in value for both buyers and themselves. Competition-based strategy is zero-sum — value innovation creates new demand and breaks the value-cost trade-off.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score a strategy by how many of the five Quick Diagnostic rows it satisfies, mapped to the bands below:

- **9-10** — divergent strategy-canvas curve, eliminates AND creates factors, breaks the value-cost trade-off, converts non-customers, and delivers a 10x utility leap (all 5 rows).
- **7-8** — value innovation is real but one gate is weak (e.g. strong divergence and cost cuts, but still chasing existing customers rather than non-customers).
- **5-6** — differentiation without cost cuts, or cost cuts without a value leap: better than rivals on the same factors, not yet value innovation (2-3 rows).
- **<=3** — competes on the same factors as rivals with a look-alike canvas curve: a red ocean (0-1 rows).

Report the current score, which diagnostic rows fail, and the specific ERRC/Six-Paths moves needed to reach 10/10.

## Framework

### 1. Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean
```
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