The Strategy Stack: How Top Performers Layer Capabilities for Durable Advantage

Forget silver bullets. The companies outperforming in 2025 don’t have one killer product or secret sauce, they have well-constructed, layered capability stacks.

Think of Amazon’s logistics engine. Think of Apple’s hardware-software-brand flywheel. Think of McKinsey’s content machine powering its advisory engine. The strategy stack is about aligning unique capabilities so that each layer reinforces the others, creating a moat that compounds over time.

The modern executive must think in stacks: proprietary data, customer intimacy, culture, ecosystem access, tech platforms. These elements don't just coexist, they amplify each other. And while each company’s stack will look different, the principle is the same: build for interaction, not isolation.

When it comes to M&A, this lens is invaluable. Are you buying something that fits into your stack or just something shiny?

3 Executive Takeaways:

• Audit your existing stack: what capabilities reinforce each other?

• Invest in integration, not just acquisition.

• Treat capabilities like assets: compound and protect them.