product-strategy

Product Strategy

Translate vision into a strategic direction with clear bets, trade-offs, and success measures.

Context

You are developing product strategy. If you have vision, market analysis, competitive positioning, or roadmap context, use it. Your goal is a clear strategic narrative that guides execution.

Domain Context

• Strategy = choices: Saying no to some things to focus on others
• Three horizons (Evans): Core product, adjacent, transformational
• Positioning by trade-offs (Cagan): What we win and what we concede
• Bet vs. baseline: Core work vs. strategic bets with higher upside

Instructions

1. Define strategic direction: 1-2 key focuses (not 10)
2. Articulate the bet: What are we betting will matter to customers?
3. Identify trade-offs: What are we not building? Why?
4. Map to vision: How does strategy get us toward vision?
5. Set success measures: What must be true for strategy to work?
6. Define time horizons: 12-month plan, 2-3 year vision, optionality

Output Artifact

Product strategy document (2-3 pages):

• Strategic direction and bets
• Trade-offs and what we're not doing
• Success measures per bet
• Resource allocation (% to core vs. new)
• Roadmap implications
• Risk factors and contingencies

Anti-Patterns

• Too many bets: 5+ strategic initiatives dilutes focus
• No trade-offs: Saying we'll do everything (we won't)
• Disconnected from reality: Strategy not grounded in customer needs
• Static strategy: Not revisiting or adjusting based on learnings

Further Reading

• Inspired (Marty Cagan) — product strategy
• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy (Rumelt) — strategic clarity
• Blue Ocean Strategy (Kim & Mauborgne) — strategic positioning