About
Looking differently to see what others don't see
Strategy – A creative act to realise purpose against resistance
Hi, I’m Selase Dugbaza, Managing Director and a Strategy Conductor at InventureLabs. InventureLabs was born from a simple desire—to reignite strategy as the art of the possible. We aim to unlock the exciting and creative power of strategy to overcome resistance—the obstacles that block or hinder your business from achieving its purpose and reaping the rewards.
“A business is never the sum of its parts, it’s the product of how they interact”.
After over 20 years in operations, business analysis, and strategy, I noticed a troubling pattern: small to medium businesses were often given copy-and-paste strategies focused on isolated functions like marketing, sales, finance, and operations. These strategies treat the business as separate parts, ignoring the unique dynamics created by their connections. It’s like trying to run a car with mismatched parts—it might move, but it won’t reach its full potential. I decided to introduce a more powerful approach for small to medium businesses.
Our approach to strategy goes beyond business as usual. We step back to move forward, starting with the belief that business is life. Let me explain!
Business is Life
When my son asked, “What is business?” we looked up its root meaning in different languages. There was a common thread: business is about human activity, survival, and connection. It’s how we provide for ourselves and others, engage with the world, and turn our efforts into value. "Business is Life" sums up its role as a fundamental part of human existence, tied to our needs and aspirations. Business is a vehicle for achieving our version of the “good life,” so it matters. The success of small to medium businesses matters. They reflect the heartbeat of ordinary lives, are closer to communities, and are better tuned to real needs. By letting go of the trap of rigid “business think” and seeing business in more human terms, strategy gains a whole new meaning and purpose.
Uniqueness as the antidote to competition
When we humanise business and focus on the lives it touches, strategy moves beyond the conventional formulas and approaches everyone copies. It’s no longer about fitting into the predictable mould of industry practice that make you just like everyone else. Strategy becomes personal and private, distinctive, and uniquely yours—a surprise package tailored to your business. This is the antidote to competition: embracing what makes you truly unique.
Your business is a living organism
To achieve true uniqueness, you need to resist the temptation of the superficial, one-size-fits-all strategies thrown about like confetti. They’re made to sell in volume, they’re not made for you to stand out. Your business isn’t a collection of disconnected parts like sales, marketing, operations or finance—it’s a whole, living, breathing organism with interconnected parts that influence each other. Your strategy should reflect this complete view and help you see how the parts that drive performance impact each other. When you have this, strategy becomes meaningful, exciting, and powerful. This is what InventureLabs is about.
Powered by Logic, Magic, Art and Science
Inventurelabs designs holistic, creative and daring strategies balanced with intelligence and wisdom. We call this strategy powered by Logic, magic, art and science. These forces reflect the diverse influences and ways people think, live, create and resolve challenges. They tap into the core of who we are. At InventureLabs, we harness this fourfold power to expand the possibilities available for your business to achieve its purpose and reap its rewards.
It's time for a change.
In business as in life, you have creative freedom. There are no operating rules you have to follow. For every goal, there is a way. To discover it, you need intelligence and wisdom, but you can’t do it without logic and magic, art and science. Ready to see what’s possible?