I was lucky enough to be at Squeaky beach (the sand squeaks when you walk on it) at Wilson’s Promontory on the weekend. 

Apart from proving adept at getting food from humans, this Crimson Rosella gave a telling reminder of the value of precedent and setting expectations when driving towards a particular goal – in this case, getting food from humans…

Sometimes being predictable in the way you strategically use your intellectual property can be a great advantage.  The brand-based company that will always sue for infringement deters would-be infringers, the Venture Capital firm that only invests in companies with a strong patent portfolio finds it easier to get second round co-funders, the generic pharmaceutical company that only goes for early launch when they know they will win is more likely to settle without needless patent litigation expense. 

And so on.

But is this always the case?  Is there room for some unpredictability in the way your strategy evolves?

What do you think?