Last Updated: July 15, 2025
SWOT Framework
| Helpful | Harmful | |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | Strengths What do you do well? What unique resources do you have? | Weaknesses What could you improve? What should you avoid? |
| External | Opportunities What trends can you exploit? What gaps exist in the market? | Threats What obstacles do you face? What are competitors doing? |
Example Questions
| Quadrant | Ask Yourself |
|---|---|
| Strengths | What do customers praise? What's your moat? What do you do better than anyone? |
| Weaknesses | What do you avoid? What do customers complain about? Where do you lack resources? |
| Opportunities | What trends can you ride? Is your market growing? Are competitors leaving gaps? |
| Threats | Could a tech shift make you obsolete? Are new competitors entering? Regulatory risk? |
After the SWOT: TOWS Matrix
| Strategy | Combination |
|---|---|
| SO (Maxi-Maxi) | Use Strengths to seize Opportunities — offensive strategy |
| WO (Mini-Maxi) | Overcome Weaknesses by exploiting Opportunities — adjust |
| ST (Maxi-Mini) | Use Strengths to avoid Threats — defensive strategy |
| WT (Mini-Mini) | Minimize Weaknesses and avoid Threats — survival mode |
Pro Tip: A SWOT without action is just navel-gazing. The real value is the TOWS matrix that follows: turn every intersection into a strategic action. Strengths + Opportunities = your attack plan. Weaknesses + Threats = your survival plan.