--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The essence of strategy is choosing what…" description: "\"The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.\" — Michael Porter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png" --- # The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. ![“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” quote by Michael Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png) > “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” [Michael Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective strategy focuses on deliberate omission rather than addition. **In simple terms:** Choose what not to do. Key Takeaway Prioritize essential actions. Themes strategy focus decisionmaking Mood analytical pragmatic Type business personal When to use this quote - business planning - personal goal setting Key Concepts tradeoffs resource allocation prioritization Questions to Reflect On - What could you stop doing to improve? - How do you decide what to omit? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on exclusion can miss opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Essence Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence-strategy-3023501/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Strategy Choosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy-choosing-3023498/) ## Related quotes > [“Michael Porter’s best, when he said, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bungay-stanier/michael-porter-s-best-when-he-said-the-essence-of-strategy-is/) [Michael Bungay Stanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bungay-stanier/) > [Strategy is indeed about choosing what not to do as well as what to do. 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I'm always thinking about, what's the task and how do I get it done? And some of my tasks are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/unfortunately-i-m-an-engineer-i-m-always-thinking-about-what-s-the/) [Michael Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/) > [Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it's about deliberately choosing to be different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/strategy-is-about-making-choices-trade-offs-it-s-about-deliberately/) [Michael Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/) [Explore all 55 Michael Porter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/) ## More Choosing quotes > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. 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Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [I can always choose, but I ought to know that if I do not choose, I am still choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-can-always-choose-but-i-ought-to-know-that-if-i-do-not-choose-i-am/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Choosing what you want to do, and when to do it, is an act of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/choosing-what-you-want-to-do-and-when-to-do-it-is-an-act-of-creation/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [“So much must be established at birth . . . in the random choosing of a name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-barich/so-much-must-be-established-at-birth-in-the-random-choosing-of-a-name/) [Bill Barich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-barich/) > [The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/the-thing-that-counts-most-in-the-pursuit-of-happiness-is-choosing/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [“In choosing a mate, don't pick the tallest and most handsome or the most beautiful. Don't choose one just because that person raises your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-quist-milligan/in-choosing-a-mate-don-t-pick-the-tallest-and-most-handsome-or-the/) [Helen Quist Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-quist-milligan/) > [I see myself as a roving mosquito, choosing it's target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-williams/i-see-myself-as-a-roving-mosquito-choosing-it-s-target/) [Kenneth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-williams/) > [Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/travel-i-was-coming-to-realize-was-a-metaphor-not-only-for-the/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [“If I am to choose between integrity and wealth, I will go for integrity because I believe that lack of integrity is the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-i-am-to-choose-between-integrity-and-wealth-i-will-go-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Every time I've gotten myself into trouble, it's because I'm choosing a project based on a long-term career goal as opposed to something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/every-time-i-ve-gotten-myself-into-trouble-it-s-because-i-m-choosing/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [Growing up as a singer, and a cast member, and now as an adult, a songwriter, I get the luxury of choosing the kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/growing-up-as-a-singer-and-a-cast-member-and-now-as-an-adult-a/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) [Browse all 585 Choosing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Porter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what-not-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choosing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what-not-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/michael-porter-12352_choosing_the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what_1604178.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” — Michael Porter", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Porter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The essence of strategy is choosing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what-not-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/the-essence-of-strategy-is-choosing-what-not-to-do/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```