What separates successful product leaders from the rest?
Having a great strategy.
Here's how you can build one that drives results, starting from Day 1.
This is the masterful approach of Ed Biden:
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
What it isn't โ It's not just deciding what you'll work on or a list of tasks or ideas.
What it actually is โ it's about creating clarity and a game plan for driving the most value to users while maximizing the company's goals.
๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ญ: ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
3 core elements to ensure your strategy is foolproof for greater success:
1. Laser Focus โณ Know what you will not do. Saying no to distractions is more important than you think.
2. High-Impact Work โณ Follow the 80/20 principle. Focus on a small number of projects that deliver the most value to users and the company.
3. Synergy Matters โณ The best product strategies combine efforts where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Your focus should be on the things that support the whole ecosystem.
If you want to read a full breakdown of these steps and access resources (cheat sheets, Miro boards, and more), check out the deep-dive.
๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ: ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฆ โ ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ, ๐ญ ๐ช๐๐๐, ๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ง๐
Creating a strategy doesn't have to take months. In fact, product leaders often build them incrementally:
1 Day | Snap Strategy โณ Start with a simple structure of what your strategy could look like. Focus on key objectives, users, and the first steps to test.
1 Week | Working Hypothesis โณ Build that initial structure into a narrative you can test with stakeholders. Don't go for perfection; use early feedback to refine and adjust your approach.
1 Month | Product Strategy โณ Now, take your lessons, refine your plan, and upgrade them into a fully-fledged strategy.
๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฏ: ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
- Objective โณ Define the core problem you're solving and the impact it will have on users and the company.
- Users โณ What are your target users' needs and pain points? Make sure everything is perfectly aligned with what they want.
- Superpowers โณ Figure out where you can create unique value and leverage your strengths to fill the gaps.
- Vision โณ Ensure what you're building gives you crystal clarity of what the future would look like for your users and the company.
- Pillars โณ Identify the big initiatives that will move you closer to your vision.
- Impact โณ Every initiative must be aligned with the whole ecosystem โ users, stakeholders, growth, and more.
- Roadmap โณ Plan out the next steps and create a clear roadmap for measuring progress.