This document outlines the steps in a strategic product planning process: 1) Gather information from a multidimensional view of the situation and identify insights 2) Select opportunities to focus on and position the product by leveraging strengths and building strategic advantages 3) Define goals and assumptions by establishing a strategic hypothesis and identifying risks of incorrect assumptions While the process requires hard work, iterating and considering challenges can help build an effective strategy in a practical way.

1. Strategic Theory
into Practice:
The Hard Truth

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Strategy Process
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Challenges
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Nacho Bassino
Product Leader Spread the word Help others
@nachobassino
medium.com/@nachobassino
linkedin.com/in/juanbassino/
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9. Steps
Of a Product Strategy

10. 0. Gather Information
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11. Multidimensional view of situation
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12. 1. Insights
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13. INSIGHTS
WHAT ARE INSIGHTS?
• Insights are learnings: the identification
of a problem, a tendency, or an
opportunity that can radically change
the game.
WHY INSIGHTS?
• An insightless strategy is simply following
a hunch.
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14. A practical example of insights generation

15. Insights Challenges
● Base your tree on findings, not merely ideas.
● Decide how to phrase and group nodes.
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➔ Donʼt write solutions, think what opportunity you are trying to solve.
➔ Identify early on where you need more research.
➔ Start with what you have. Make your tree a living document, reshape
it as many times as needed.

16. 2. Select
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17. Selecting to Win: Focus & Positioning
“Strategy is identifying the key challenges and the means to overcome them”
Richard Rumelt

18. What opportunities strengthen our value and differentiation?
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VS

20. Select Challenges
● Really decide how you want to position, your differentiation.
● Identify your strengths, try to build strategic advantages.
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➔ Identify the tradeoffs, and discuss them openly with stakeholders.
➔ Repeatedly ask what your competitors wonʼt be able to easily
imitate.
➔ Look for strengths you can leverage to build your value proposition.
Why us?

21. 3. Goals and Assumptions
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22. Strategic
Hypothesis
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23. Goals and Assumptions
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24. Assumption Challenges
● What needs to be true for your strategy to be successful?
● What would be the impact of an incorrect hypothesis?
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➔ Be explicit about your assumptions and identify the level of risk.
➔ Start validation of riskiest assumptions as soon as possible.

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You can be practical
While theory is awesome, there is a practical way to build it
Hard work?
Yes, but the benefits are totally worth the effort
But not mechanical
Get started, iterate, and keep the challenges in mind

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Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at
● nachobassino.medium.com
● @nachobassino
Slides: leanexperimentation.com/slides
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Sample chapters: https://leanexperimentation.com/announcing-product-direction/