Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1. Strategic control in a single market context. Understanding strategic control points ("the stick") -- How to spot strategic control points : a process for identifying them in your market -- Part 2. Extending strategic control to multiple markets. The competitive ecosystem and the visual value map -- On the outside looking in : what happens when someone else owns a strategic control point? -- What can go wrong when you own a point of strategic control? The concept of blowback to the core -- Part 3. The carrot and the stick : strategies for today's interconnected environment. The concept of aligning incentives ("the carrot") -- Why utilizing the "carrot" and the "stick" matters and what to do about it -- Game theory, signaling, and the strategic use of information.

"In today's world of interconnected and "always-on" information, companies that succeed are those that compete by leveraging the advantage of strategic control points. A strategic control point is a part of a market where, if controlled by one party, it can be used to leverage power elsewhere. This can occur throughout the supply chain, in a related business, or even in an unrelated market."--