Strategic Narrative Generator Skill

Strategic Narrative Generator Skill

Purpose

Turn a prioritised initiative list into a strategic narrative — the story that explains not just what you're building but why, why now, and why this sequence. The kind of narrative a board member can repeat back correctly after one hearing.

Required Inputs

• Prioritised initiative list (with rough timelines)
• Current OKRs or strategic priorities (1-3)
• Competitive or market context (optional but improves output significantly)

Process

1. Read the initiative list and identify 2-3 natural strategic themes
2. For each theme: articulate the problem it addresses, the customer it serves, and the metric it moves
3. Build the progression narrative: how does Q1 set up Q2? How does H1 set up H2?
4. Write executive summary in under 100 words (the version someone can repeat)
5. Anticipate the 3 hardest questions a sceptical board member would ask — and draft answers
6. Identify what's NOT on the roadmap and why (this builds credibility)

Output Format

Product Strategy Narrative: [Period]

The One-Paragraph Context: [Market moment + key challenge + our response — for the CFO, not the engineer]

Strategic Theme 1: [Name]

• The problem: [customer pain in plain language]
• Our response: [initiatives in this theme]
• The metric it moves: [specific and measurable]
• Why now: [timing rationale]

Strategic Theme 2: [Name] [Same structure]

The Progression Story: [How each quarter sets up the next — this is the narrative arc]

Executive Summary (under 100 words — shareable): [Version someone can quote at a board meeting]

Questions to Prepare For:

1. [Hard question] → [Prepared answer]
2. [Hard question] → [Prepared answer]
3. [Hard question] → [Prepared answer]

What's Not on the Roadmap (and Why): [2-3 items — shows strategic discipline, not just prioritisation]

Tone Rules

• Write for a CFO, not an engineer
• Lead with outcomes, not features
• Every sentence should answer "so what?"
• Avoid jargon — if you can't say it plainly, the strategy isn't clear enough yet