What is product strategy? how I’d build one that teams can use
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When a strategy needs to travel, I distill it into a one-pager for product managers that makes the problem, choices, and next decision easy to scan.
I also keep a simple decision log for product managers so a strategy can evolve without losing the reasoning behind earlier trade-offs.
Product strategy is the coherent answer to: which customers, which problems, how we'll win, and where we won't play—translated into goals and initiatives a team can execute.
If your "strategy" is a list of features, you have a backlog costume.
Why it matters
Strategy focuses scarce capacity. It helps you say no without a weekly political fight. It connects daily tickets to a story leadership and customers can recognize.
Components I insist on
- Vision — directionally inspiring, still testable in spirit ("for whom / what future state")
- Goals — outcomes that define progress
- Initiatives — the big bets that might achieve those goals (not every story)
Five stages I'd walk a team through
1. Ideation with constraints
Problems and opportunities first. Invite diverse input; constrain with strategy pillars so brainstorming isn't infinite.
2. Choose a prioritization framework
RICE, opportunity scoring, cost of delay—pick one the team understands. Frameworks create comparable conversations; they don't replace judgment.
When a team needs a lightweight prioritization conversation, the MoSCoW method can make must-haves and trade-offs explicit; for a quick relative score, compare it with ICE scoring.
3. Prioritize against objectives
Force tradeoffs in public. Record what you deferred and why.
4. Define measures
Leading indicators + outcomes. Decide what would falsify the bet.
5. Align
Same page across eng, design, GTM, leadership. Alignment is a deliverable.
How I'd develop a great strategy (habits)
- Treat problems as opportunities with evidence
- Generate multiple options before falling in love
- Use a wider brain trust—then a small decision group
- Put a strong facilitator on strategy workshops (often the PM)
- Revisit on a cadence; consistency ≠ stubbornness
Consistency without rigidity
Stay consistent on the problem space and principles. Change tactics when evidence says so. Publish a changelog when the strategy shifts so the org doesn't gaslight itself.
My take
Good strategy feels like relief: people know what to ignore. If everything is still strategic, nothing is.
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