The "Or" Strategy That 99% of Business Leaders Ignore (Until Now)

Did you know that the average business leader makes 35,000 decisions every single day? That’s according to a Cornell University study. But here’s the kicker: most of those decisions aren’t really decisions at all. They’re just binary choices—yes or no, black or white, do or don’t. And that’s where most businesses get stuck. Because the real game-changer? It’s not the “yes” or the “no.” It’s the “or.”

Let me explain. When you strip away the jargon, business success comes down to one thing: how you handle tension. The tension between risk and reward. Between speed and quality. Between growth and stability. Most people try to resolve that tension by picking a side. But the pros? They leverage the “or” to create something entirely new.

I’ve been writing about business strategy for years, and I’ve found that the most powerful tool in any entrepreneur’s arsenal isn’t a CRM or a marketing funnel. It’s the ability to hold two opposing ideas in your head at the same time and still function. That’s not just a F. Scott Fitzgerald quote. That’s the business equivalent of a superpower.

The Silent Killer of Innovation: Binary Thinking

Let’s be honest: your brain loves shortcuts. It’s wired to see the world in pairs—good/bad, expensive/cheap, fast/slow. This is called binary thinking, and it’s the reason most businesses plateau. You see it everywhere:

“We can either cut costs or invest in R&D.”
“We can either focus on customer service or scale quickly.”
“We can either hire experienced talent or train fresh graduates.”

Here’s what most people miss: these aren’t trade-offs. They’re traps. When you frame a decision as an “either/or,” you’re limiting your options to two pre-defined paths. But real innovation lives in the messy middle—the “and” or the “or” that creates a third option.

I once worked with a SaaS startup that was convinced they had to choose between subscription revenue (stable but slow) and one-time sales (fast but unpredictable). They spent six months arguing. Then a junior product manager asked: “What if we do both but with a twist?” They launched a “freemium + upsell” model that combined the best of both worlds. Revenue tripled in a year.

The lesson? The “or” isn’t a limitation. It’s a launchpad. It forces you to ask: “What if I don’t have to pick?” That question is worth its weight in gold.

A split image showing a traditional "either/or" signpost on one side and a path that merges into a third, glowing option on the other

Why Your Business Needs an “Or” Strategy

I’ve noticed something in my years of covering business trends. The companies that weather downturns and disrupt industries aren’t the ones that make the “right” choice. They’re the ones that refuse to choose in the first place.

Take Amazon. Jeff Bezos famously said, “We’re willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time.” On paper, that sounds like a bad strategy—who wants to be misunderstood? But Bezos wasn’t choosing between “profitability now” and “market share later.” He was using the “or” to say: We can be profitable AND invest in growth, but only if we reimagine what profit means. That’s why Amazon spent years operating at razor-thin margins while building AWS, Prime, and their logistics empire.

Here’s the practical takeaway: Your business strategy should have at least one “or” that makes your competitors uncomfortable. For example:

Cost vs. Quality: Most businesses think you can’t have both. But what if you use automation to lower costs while using that savings to hire better designers? That’s an “or” that creates a moat.
Speed vs. Precision: Instead of rushing to market with a half-baked product, what if you launch a “minimum viable product” and a “VIP feedback loop” that lets you iterate faster than anyone else?
Personalization vs. Scale: Instead of choosing between one-to-one service and mass production, what if you use AI to create hyper-personalized templates?

I’m not saying this is easy. It’s not. But the “or” forces you to think in systems rather than silos. And systems thinking is the only way to build something that lasts.

The 3 Things Most Leaders Get Wrong About “Or”

Let’s get specific. I’ve seen three common mistakes that turn the “or” from a strategic weapon into a liability.

1. They treat it as a compromise

“We’ll do a little of both.” That’s not an “or.” That’s a lukewarm middle ground that pleases nobody. A true “or” strategy creates something new—not a watered-down version of two options.

2. They forget the “why”

The “or” is a tool, not a goal. If you can’t explain why you’re holding two opposing ideas, you’ll end up with confusion, not innovation. I’ve seen startups try to “disrupt” and “sustain” at the same time without a clear thesis. Spoiler: they disrupted their own cash flow.

3. They ignore timing

The “or” works best under constraints. When you have limited resources, the tension forces creativity. But when you have infinite time and money? The “or” becomes an excuse to procrastinate. Set a deadline for your “or” decision. Otherwise, you’ll live in analysis paralysis.

How to Build an “Or” Decision Framework in 4 Steps

You don’t need a fancy MBA to apply this. Here’s a simple framework I use with clients and in my own writing business.

Step 1: Identify the binary Look at your biggest friction point. Where are you constantly saying “we can’t do X because of Y”? Write it down. Example: “We can’t raise prices because we’ll lose customers.”

Step 2: Question the assumption Ask: “Is that really true?” Often, the binary is based on outdated data or fear. Maybe you can raise prices if you add value that customers actually want.

Step 3: Imagine the third option This is the fun part. Brainstorm a scenario where both things are true. “What if we raise prices and offer a loyalty discount that makes customers feel they’re getting a deal?” That’s an “or” that shifts the conversation.

Step 4: Test small Don’t bet the farm. Run a pilot. A/B test. Launch a limited version. The “or” is a hypothesis, not a guarantee. But every time you test, you learn something that binary thinkers never will.

I used this framework last year when I was torn between writing long-form articles (high quality, low volume) and short social posts (high volume, lower impact). The “or” answer? I started publishing “micro-essays” on LinkedIn that teased deeper ideas and drove traffic to my blog. Both goals were met. Neither was compromised.

The Hidden Danger: When “Or” Becomes a Crutch

I’d be lying if I said the “or” is always the answer. Sometimes, you genuinely have to choose. There’s a difference between strategic tension and indecision.

The danger zone: When you use the “or” to avoid making a hard call. I’ve seen leaders say “we’re going to disrupt and sustain” when they really mean “we’re afraid to kill our legacy product.” That’s not innovation. That’s denial.

How do you know the difference? Ask yourself: Does this “or” create a new option, or does it just delay the inevitable? If it’s the latter, you’re better off picking one path and committing. As the saying goes, a mediocre plan executed well is better than a perfect plan never executed.

The Bottom Line: Embrace the Tension

Here’s what I want you to take away: Business is not about eliminating tension. It’s about dancing with it. The “or” is your dance partner. It pushes, pulls, and forces you to grow.

The next time you face a tough decision, don’t ask “which one?” Ask “what’s the third option?” That simple shift in framing has saved me from countless bad calls. And I’ve seen it transform businesses that were stuck in the mud.

So go ahead. Hold two opposing ideas in your head. Let them wrestle. And then create something that neither side expected. That’s where the magic happens.

Now, I’m curious: What’s the biggest “or” your business is wrestling with right now? Drop it in the comments. I’d love to help you find that third option.

Or: