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No. 178 · Strategy · Economics

Seizing the Middle

Whoever controls the point that everything must pass through holds power beyond their size.

Seizing the middle means occupying the central position that others must pass through, giving influence beyond your size. The Medici became central to European finance by connecting markets, and card networks like Mastercard sit between banks and merchants, earning from transactions without owning either side.

Look for junctions where value and information flow: bridge different groups in your network, build skills where specialties intersect, and take on coordinating roles at key points in your organization. A central position is powerful, so use it to create value for both sides.

In the Almanac

“The Medici bank”, 1397–1494 · “Mastercard”, 1966

Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.

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Seizing the Middle

Questions

What is Seizing the Middle?

Seizing the middle means occupying the central position that others must pass through, giving influence beyond your size. The Medici became central to European finance by connecting markets, and card networks like Mastercard sit between banks and merchants, earning from transactions without owning either side.

How do you use Seizing the Middle?

Look for junctions where value and information flow: bridge different groups in your network, build skills where specialties intersect, and take on coordinating roles at key points in your organization. A central position is powerful, so use it to create value for both sides.

When does Seizing the Middle matter?

Seizing the Middle is one of the 56 mental models for strategy, the situations where you ask: How do I win when others want the same thing? Within that, it belongs to “Finding your advantage”, alongside Barriers to Entry, Center of Gravity and Economies of Scale.

What is an example of Seizing the Middle?

Two stories show it at work: The Medici bank (1397–1494) and Mastercard (1966). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.

Which mental models are related to Seizing the Middle?

Center of Gravity, Bottlenecks and Network Effects. Seizing the Middle itself comes from economics.