Strategy clarity is a team-wide test
If you ask anyone on your team what your strategy is, would they be able to explain it? If not, your strategy isn't clear enough. A strategy that only lives in the PM's head isn't a strategy—it's a secret.
This Week #0: Advice on growth, product, and leadership
Sep 2019
If you ask anyone on your team what your strategy is, would they be able to explain it? If not, your strategy isn't clear enough. A strategy that only lives in the PM's head isn't a strategy—it's a secret.
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Sep 2019Before developing strategy, ensure everyone knows what they should be doing, unnecessary meetings are eliminated, blockers are addressed quickly, and deadlines are clear. You can't build a compelling vision on top of a chaotic foundation.
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Jun 2019A good strategy is a set of actions that is credible, coherent, and focused on overcoming the biggest hurdles in achieving an objective. Strategy without execution is just planning; execution without strategy is just activity.
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Jun 2022The only way to discover what's missing from your strategy is by communicating it repeatedly and paying close attention to where people seem confused. People hide their confusion, so you must listen actively for unstated assumptions and missing logical connections that prevent others from following your reasoning.
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Jun 2022When executives say 'increase revenue by 50%,' that's a goal, not a strategy. A PM's job is to connect that target to specific product work by identifying which features best match the business goal and explaining why—filling in all the missing dots between high-level objective and tactical execution.
This Week #0: Advice on growth, product, and leadership
Sep 2019When your team is humming, work your way up from execution (blockers, processes, goals) to strategy (clarity, boldness) to vision (North Star, purpose). Each level builds on the last, and most PMs skip steps by jumping to vision without solid execution.
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