Acquired 7 Powers with Hamilton Helmer
229 snips
Dec 8, 2021 
Hamilton Helmer, the author of "Seven Powers" and an esteemed strategy consultant, joins to discuss his framework for building enduring companies. He highlights how timing and market power shaped the success of giants like Apple and Microsoft. The conversation dives into the importance of product-market fit and sustainable pricing strategies, with case studies from Uber and Slack. Helmer also explores the dynamics of switching costs in SaaS and the future evolution of technology sectors, emphasizing leadership’s role in innovation.
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Helmer's Introduction to Acquired
- Hamilton Helmer's son, a software engineer at Google, alerted him to the Acquired podcast's popularity.
- This led to David Rosenthal reaching out to Helmer for an interview.
Helmer's Rug Business
- Helmer and his brother started a rug business while he was in graduate school, designing in New York and weaving in Ecuador.
- His wife jokingly refers to this venture as a "social enterprise", but Helmer acknowledges it as a learning experience.
Helmer's Path to Bain & Company
- After completing his economics PhD, Helmer was interested in business but found few relevant opportunities.
- He cold-called Bain & Company, leading to nine interviews and finally a job offer from Bill Bain himself.
