Product Practice #322

Linked Better Practices over Stacked Best Practices

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HERBIG.CO

PUBLISHED

May 17, 2024

READING TIME

5 min & 32 sec

Dear Reader,

Your Product Strategy is not just a fill-in-the-blanks statement you put on a slide or the canvas you fill out. It’s a powerful tool, the coherent connection of individual patterns and components, that guides your every move, no matter the format in which you display these.

BUT, once you have articulated your choices, you can use concise statements to check if you provide an apparent reason to say no to things:

Our <value proposition or offering> helps <audience> achieve <job>.

We distribute <value proposition or offering> through <distribution channel> to reach <audience>.

<Audience> chooses <value proposition> and not <alternative> to achieve <job> because of <differentiation.>

Watch for these two things to test the quality and effectiveness of these proving statements:

Do they make sense? Is this a straight sentence you can say to someone? Don’t cram it into the structure above, but adjust it to sound natural while still hitting these talking points.
Are they “opposable” (or plain stupid when articulated as the opposite, as Roger Martin says)? Could you legitimately replace the variables of audience, differentiator, channel, job, etc., with different choices that outline a different strategic direction? Only then can your strategy deliver its core value of enabling teams to say no to things. Watch for generic words like “to succeed,” “professional users,” “Marketing,” etc.

Don’t start your strategic thinking with these statements to avoid falling for Alibi Strategy. Treat your Strategy like a Product and focus your formats and activities on the value it has to provide.

Useful Strategy Work RESULTS in Statements and doesn't start with them

You can keep them in the back of your mind when working on individual parts of your strategy (”Does this align with this statement?” or “Can this be opposed?”).

HOW TO PUT THIS THEORY INTO PRACTICE

Does your Strategy provide Substance? What gaps does your Strategy contain so that you can't articulate your statements.
Test for Opposition. For components of these statements, can you find legitimate alternatives so that you make actual choices?
Get more Questions. Get inspired to form your own statements with the examples provided in the Product Field Reference Guide.

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Thank you for Practicing Product,

Tim

How to Dive Deeper into Product Strategy

Learn how I helped companies like Chrono24 hone their Product Strategy practices. I closely work with product organizations through workshops and coaching to introduce and adapt Product Strategy.

Learn more about my Workshops and Coaching

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