7 Powers (Hamilton Helmer)

Use it when you need a clear blueprint for building lasting competitive advantage.

What is it?

7 Powers, from strategist Hamilton Helmer, is a product strategy framework that identifies seven structural advantages, or “powers”, that underpin durable, above-market profitability.

Instead of chasing short-lived wins, you map your business against economies of scale, network effects, counter-positioning, switching costs, branding, cornered resources, and process power. The framework solves the core problem of brittle strategies by showing you where to build real moats.

By classifying market forces and your internal capabilities, 7 Powers guides you to a focused, high-leverage plan for creating barriers to entry, locking in customers, and sustaining long-term growth.

Why it matters?

A one-off feature hack can spike growth briefly, but only a true structural advantage delivers compound returns. 7 Powers forces you to pick and systematically build the barriers, moats, that lock in customers, deter rivals, and turn your product into a self-sustaining growth engine.

How it works

Growth co-pilot turns your toughest product questions into clear, data-backed recommendations you can act on immediately.

List potential powers

Brainstorm which of the seven structural advantages, scale economies, network effects, counter-positioning, switching costs, branding, cornered resource, process power, your product or market could leverage.

Diagnose your current position

For each power, rate your strength from 1–5 based on current assets, team skills, and market context.

Analyze market fit

Compare your ratings against competitors and market dynamics to spot which powers are under-served and high-impact.

Prioritize the highest-leverage power

Choose the power that offers the biggest barrier to entry and aligns with your core capabilities.

Define key initiatives

Break your chosen power into concrete projects, e.g., build network protocols for effects or lock in vendor deals for cornered resources.

Execute with milestones

Set quarterly goals tied to real metrics, user growth, retention lift, cost curves, to track your power's build-out.

Iterate and defend

Regularly reassess competitor moves, refine your execution, and shore up adjacent powers to maintain your moat.

Frequently asked questions

Growth co-pilot turns your toughest product questions into clear, data-backed recommendations you can act on immediately.

What exactly are the 7 Powers?

They're seven structural sources of sustainable advantage: scale economies, network effects, counter-positioning, switching costs, branding, cornered resources, and process power. Each creates a barrier that rivals struggle to overcome.

What exactly are the 7 Powers?

Can a startup pursue more than one power at once?

In theory yes, but early-stage teams should laser-focus on the single highest-impact power. Once that moat shows traction, layering in a second power amplifies your advantage.

Can a startup pursue more than one power at once?

In theory yes, but early-stage teams should laser-focus on the single highest-impact power. Once that moat shows traction, layering in a second power amplifies your advantage.

How do I know which power fits my market?

Rate each power against your assets, customer behavior, and competitor landscape. The framework's diagnostic approach, scoring 1–5 per power, quickly highlights the strongest fit for your unique context.

How do I know which power fits my market?

How long does it take to build a defensible power?

Expect at least 3–12 months to see measurable results. Building true network effects or scale economies isn't a sprint, it's a sustained effort with clear milestones and metrics.

How long does it take to build a defensible power?

Expect at least 3–12 months to see measurable results. Building true network effects or scale economies isn't a sprint, it's a sustained effort with clear milestones and metrics.

How do I measure if my chosen power is working?

Tie progress to leading indicators: for network effects, active user growth rate; for switching costs, churn reduction; for scale economies, unit cost decline. Track these metrics monthly to validate your moat's strength.

How do I measure if my chosen power is working?

You've zeroed in on the power that will form your moat. Now run a CrackGrowth diagnostic to uncover the invisible blockers in your roadmap and start executing a bulletproof strategy.

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