> you always have a strategy, even if it is implicit and not written down. Writing helps you sharpen it, have a shared understanding. > one of the simplest yet most powerful things you can do, is to write your strategy down.
Simple, but really useful idea from Will Larson: Every company has engineers who complain, "There's no product strategy. Why don't we even have a product strategy?" Then, you talk to product managers, and they say, "There's no business strategy. How do we function without a business strategy?" When you go back to the engineers, they lament, "There's not even a technology strategy. What kind of company are we?" This pervasive belief that there's no strategy anywhere is common, but I've come to believe that strategy is everywhere—it's just rarely written down. The challenge is that unwritten strategy can be effective but difficult to use and refine. When strategies are updated, people have different understandings of the changes. It's tough to onboard new hires when there's no written strategy. You often have senior leaders who come in and just assume their last company strategy is your strategy because you don't have your strategy written down anywhere. Explaining confusing points becomes a series of one-on-one conversations or trying to interpret past decisions like case law. It's confusing and inefficient compared to just writing it down. One of the biggest improvements we can make in the quality of strategy across all areas—engineering, product, business—is to commit to documenting it. Once written, people can disagree, iterate, and revise the strategy. Unwritten strategies are hard to engage with, and writing things down, even imperfectly, can lead to significant improvements almost overnight. Without documentation, improving your strategy is incredibly challenging. Read the entire Review article featuring Will by following the link in the comments.
Sergio S.
1w
Unwritten (or unclear) strategy is as good as none: https://www.productleadership.io/p/your-company-strategy-is-sht
I’d also say writing is one of the best ways to clarify & sharpen thinking/thought process.
Agreed, writing it down brings alignment and iterations.
IBM MSFT SAP - B2B product management coach, consultant, trainer, and speaker passionate about increasing business impact with innovative, customized programs for individuals and organizations.
1wI disagree with this fundamentally. Strategy is intentional. In the absence of an explicit strategy, all you have is a hodge-podge of shifting priorities. +1 on the value of writing it down (being intentional).