Join me

Hi there,

I’m Ian Hallett, and I write Writing about strategy, operating models and business transformation.

Developed during my three-year doctoral research programme investigating the drivers of outstanding company performance, Thematic Strategy is founded on six principles of strategy:

1. Foresight shows the way

2. Positioning is the key

3. Assets build the fortress

4. Stories create belief

5. Teams unlock greatness

6. Discipline is delivery

Together, these principles are the foundation of outstanding company performance.

What you’ll get

Free subscribers

• As a free subscriber, I’ll send you my weekly newsletter, First Principles, that goes deep into my research on how outstanding companies succeed.

• Practical insights are drawn from my doctoral research and real-world experience as a global executive.

• I also post daily on LinkedIn and Substack Notes, so follow me there too.

• All subscribers receive a brand new post every Saturday. In addition, I post 3-4x per day on Substack and 1x per day on LinkedIn.

Paid subscribers - $15/month or $63/year

• You may want to consider upgrading to my paid subscription, and benefit from:

  • Entry to Substack Chat — a private space for live conversation, questions, and behind-the-scenes thinking.

  • Monthly live Strategy Seminar sessions where I explain a key concept from Thematic Strategy you can apply to your business.

  • Full access to the archive of ideas, essays, research and book chapters.

  • Access to commenting on all content.

  Subscribe

Who I write for

I write for those who want to build amazing businesses—the ones who are building the future from within their teams, companies, and communities.

Here, you’ll learn to:

• See differently — spot the forces driving change before others do.

• Think strategically — turn complexity into clear, practical choices.

• Act with intent — move ideas from talk to execution.

• Lead progress — not through title, but through clarity and courage.

This is a movement for people who want to understand how strategic transformation happens and make a positive change.

Who am I?

I am a senior operating executive and strategy researcher focused on how firms build and sustain competitive advantage.

In my role as Chief Operating Officer at a $4bn real estate platform, I am accountable for strategy, execution, and large-scale organisational performance.

Alongside my executive role, I completed a doctoral research programme analysing firms that sustain market leadership over long periods. This work led to the development of Thematic Strategy, a framework for aligning strategy, assets, and execution around external drivers of change.

I share what I’ve learned about strategy, leadership, and how meaningful change really happens, drawn from decades of leading global teams, transforming businesses, and studying the forces shaping the future.

This is where research meets action: for people who want to think clearly, lead decisively, and move the world forward.

Join me.