The Strategy Trap: Why Your Audience’s “Smart Moves” Might Be Costing Them

Every day, your audience is making choices that look strategic.

They show up in the form of discipline.
They present themselves as restraint.
They feel like the “smart” move.

But they’re not.

They’re silent killers. Habits and decisions that quietly drag down progress while masquerading as good judgment.

As a creator, coach, or expert, your job isn’t just to inspire or entertain. It’s to guide. To help your audience see what they can’t yet see. To shine a light on the blind spots that are sabotaging their growth.

Because often, the biggest risks aren’t the loud, obvious missteps—they’re the subtle, quiet choices that feel right, but steer people off course.

Let’s look at one of the most famous examples of this in business history.

Kodak Had the Future in Its Hands—And Let It Slip Away

In 1975, a Kodak engineer built the world’s first digital camera.

It was clunky. Low-resolution. Nowhere near ready for the consumer market. But it worked. The core technology was sound—and it was a glimpse of a digital future that, at the time, seemed almost unimaginable.

Kodak could’ve owned the digital photography revolution.

Instead, they buried it.

Why? Because going digital meant cannibalizing their wildly successful film business.

Film was Kodak’s cash cow. The bedrock of their brand. Protecting it felt like the right move. It looked like sound strategy.

But it was the beginning of the end.

By clinging to what felt safe, Kodak missed the chance to lead an entirely new era of photography. The world went digital, with or without them.

Their mistake? Not laziness. Not a lack of innovation.

It was making a decision that felt smart in the moment—but ultimately came from fear, not vision.

And that same kind of mistake is happening every day… in your audience’s world.

The Hidden Dangers of “Good Decisions”

People rarely make bad choices on purpose.

Most of the time, they’re choosing what seems logical. Sensible. Low-risk.

But what if those “smart” decisions are actually keeping them stuck?

What if the systems they’ve built—their workflows, habits, beliefs—are quietly working against them?

The truth is, the most dangerous habits are the ones that don’t look dangerous at all.

They’re the ones your audience trusts. Defends. Doubles down on. And that’s why they’re so hard to shake.

They’re blind spots.

And unless someone calls them out, your audience will keep repeating them—while wondering why they’re not getting the results they want.

That’s where you come in.

Why Naming the Blind Spot Builds Authority and Trust

When you can clearly name the mistake your audience is making—especially the ones they don’t realize they’re making—you immediately stand out.

You show them something they couldn’t see on their own.

You create an “aha” moment.

And in a world filled with recycled content and surface-level advice, that is how you earn real trust.

It’s not about being louder or more persuasive.
It’s about being right—and being bold enough to speak the truth.

Spot the blind spot. Give it a name. Show your audience why what they think is working… actually isn’t.

The Audience Blind Spot Prompt

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to guess what your audience’s blind spots are.

There’s a tool that can help you find them—and articulate them in a way that sticks.

I call it the Audience Blind Spot Prompt.

It’s a simple but powerful method that surfaces the decisions, habits, or beliefs your audience trusts… but shouldn’t.

It’s designed to help you answer questions like:

• What’s a common approach my audience takes that feels strategic but is actually slowing them down?

• What’s a “best practice” they’ve heard over and over again that no longer works?

• What outdated advice are they following without question?

You can use tools like ChatGPT to guide this process—by prompting it with the right audience insights, asking the right questions, and analyzing what real people are saying or struggling with.

When you find a blind spot and explain it clearly, your message hits different.

You’re not just another creator sharing tips—you’re the one who sees through the noise.

Final Thoughts: Clarity Is a Competitive Advantage

The internet is full of people saying what everyone else is saying.

But the creators who rise to the top are the ones who see what others miss—and aren’t afraid to talk about it.

Your audience is already trying. They’re putting in effort. They’re following what they believe are smart strategies.

But some of those strategies are holding them back.

And they need someone to show them a better way.

That someone could be you.

Start by looking for the mistake that feels like a smart move.
Name it. Explain it. And lead them forward.