Gözde Yeşiltaş's Key Ideas from Connected Strategy
by Nicolaj Siggelkow, Christian Terwiesch

Traditional companies operate in a "you come to us when you need us" model. Connected strategies flip that — they let businesses anticipate customer needs and respond proactively and continuously, often enabled by digital tools and smart design.

• Respond-to-Desire

The company waits for the customer to express a need, then responds quickly and efficiently.

Example: Amazon's one-click ordering.

• Curated Offering

The company helps the customer choose by narrowing down options.

Example: Netflix or Spotify recommendations.

• Coach Behavior

The company guides customers toward better outcomes, often subtly.

Example: Fitbit nudging users to hit daily activity goals.

• Automatic Execution

The company completely removes friction by solving problems before the customer even notices.

Example: HP sending ink before your printer runs out.

1. Create a Connected Customer Relationship

Understand the full customer journey, not just the transaction.

Shift from reactive to proactive.

Use data to detect needs before they’re voiced.

2. Design the Connection Architecture

Connection Points: Digital touchpoints (apps, wearables, sensors)

Response Mechanisms: AI, customer service, automation

Personalization Engines: Data used to tailor offerings

Model : On-Demand

Description : Serve when asked

Example : Uber, DoorDash

Model : Frictionless

Desciption : Seamless delivery, no customer effort

Example : Smart home devices auto-reordering

Model : Relational

Description : Built on continuous engagement

Example : Peloton's coaching + community

Model : Platform-Based

Description : Ecosystems and data exchange

Example : Apple Health, Amazon

Disney: MagicBands create curated and frictionless experiences.

Tesla: Updates vehicles over-the-air, often without customers needing to ask.

Stitch Fix: Uses AI + humans to curate fashion picks per customer.

Sense (customer state or trigger)

Propose (personalized solution)

Act (deliver efficiently)

Learn (feedback for continuous improvement)

Goal: Understand what the customer wants — often before they do.

🔍 How it works:

Collect data: sensors, user behavior, purchase patterns, location, biometrics

Recognize intent: emotional signals, physical cues, contextual info

Identify triggers: e.g., low energy, upcoming trip, low inventory, poor sleep

🛠️ Examples:

Fitbit senses you haven’t moved in a while → nudges you to stretch.

Netflix notices you stopped halfway through a series → suggests resuming it.

HP detects your printer ink is low → prepares a refill shipment.

💡 Tools:

Wearables, IoT sensors, browsing history, machine learning, app data

Goal: Present the right solution at the right time in a relevant, low-effort way.

🎯 How it works:

Use the sensed data to offer precisely what the customer needs

Make the offer context-aware, timely, and frictionless

Deliver value before the customer has to ask

🛠️ Examples:

Spotify builds a new playlist based on your Monday listening patterns.

A meal kit app recommends quick, protein-rich recipes after your gym check-in.

Uber suggests a ride home right after your last meeting ends.

💡 Tools:

Recommendation engines, AI, push notifications, smart dashboards

Goal: Execute the service or product delivery smoothly, quickly, and reliably.

⚙️ How it works:

Optimize logistics, fulfillment, or service delivery

Minimize friction and customer effort

Provide real-time tracking or feedback

🛠️ Examples:

Amazon delivers same-day orders without you contacting support.

A smart home adjusts temperature and lighting before you arrive.

Peloton immediately queues the next workout after your session ends.

💡 Tools:

Automation, robotics, logistics platforms, APIs, integrations

Goal: Get smarter over time by using outcomes and behavior to refine the loop.

📈 How it works:

Measure outcomes (Did they complete the workout? Was the item returned?)

Track satisfaction and long-term engagement

Refine the Sense → Propose → Act stages with better predictions

🛠️ Examples:

Netflix learns what you skip, like, or binge — and evolves your algorithm.

Duolingo adjusts the next lesson difficulty based on your answers.

A meal delivery app notes food preferences and allergy flags for future meals.

💡 Tools:

A/B testing, feedback loops, behavioral analytics, continuous improvement systems

Each cycle through the flywheel:

• Improves personalization
• Builds customer trust and loyalty
• Reduces cost-to-serve
• Increases the lifetime value of each customer
• Makes the business model more resilient and scalable

1. SENSE

Purpose: Detect customer need or intent

Tools Used: Sensors, behavioral data, artificial intelligence (AI)

Example: Fitbit senses when you’ve been inactive and prompts you to move

2. PROPOSE

Purpose: Offer a personalized solution at the right moment

Tools Used: Recommendation systems, push notifications

Example: Spotify curates a mood-based playlist based on your listening patterns

3. ACT

Purpose: Deliver the solution quickly and smoothly

Tools Used: Automation, logistics platforms, APIs

Example: Amazon fulfills and ships an order the same day without customer input

4. LEARN

Purpose: Improve continuously using feedback and data

Tools Used: Analytics platforms, A/B testing

Example: Netflix tracks your viewing behavior to refine future recommendations

Product leaders and UX designers

Executives and entrepreneurs

Innovation, strategy, and CX teams

Anyone building digital ecosystems

• The book shows how to redesign customer journeys from episodic to ongoing.
• It emphasizes personalization, user feedback loops, and behavioral triggers — all critical in UX.
• Teaches how to embed smart sensing and proposing in product features (like Netflix or Fitbit do).

Why it matters:

These roles shape how users interact with a product. Connected Strategy gives them tools to create sticky, meaningful engagement — not just transactions.

• Offers a new business model lens for value creation through connection.
• Helps leaders identify operational gaps between traditional delivery and continuous engagement.
• Emphasizes competitive advantage via better customer insight and lifetime value.

Why it matters:

Strategy now includes data, tech, and experience integration — not just pricing and market share. This book helps leaders think beyond old-school funnel logic.

• Provides a structured approach to service innovation and customer intimacy.
• Helps align tech, operations, and brand to create seamless, intelligent customer interactions.
• Introduces the Flywheel model (Sense–Propose–Act–Learn), useful for redesigning end-to-end systems.

Why it matters:

These teams are responsible for transformation. This book gives them language and frameworks to design future-ready experiences.

• The book teaches how to use platform thinking, data orchestration, and cross-touchpoint journeys.
• Relevant for people working on IoT, health tech, fintech, e-commerce, or any data-rich service.

Why it matters:

Modern ecosystems rely on connections — not just within a product but across services. This book provides the strategy playbook for making those connections valuable.