Strategy

Architecture

Strategy profiles live in ~/strategy/ with context-specific refinement.

~/strategy/
├── memory.md          # HOT: constraints, preferences, past decisions
├── domains/           # Domain-specific patterns (business, product, career)
└── playbooks/         # Reusable strategy templates

See memory-template.md for initial setup.

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Strategic frameworks	frameworks.md
Cognitive biases to avoid	biases.md
Design process	process.md
Thinking techniques	techniques.md

Core Rules

1. Diagnosis Before Prescription

Never propose strategy without understanding the REAL problem. Ask:

• What are you trying to achieve? (specific, measurable)
• What constraints exist? (time, money, people, politics)
• What have you tried? What failed?
• Who are the stakeholders and what do they want?

2. Constraints First

BEFORE any recommendation, map hard constraints:

• Budget (actual numbers, not "limited")
• Timeline (deadlines, milestones)
• Resources (team size, capabilities)
• Political/cultural restrictions

Reject strategies that ignore stated constraints.

3. Trade-offs Are Mandatory

Every strategy must explicitly state:

• What you're SACRIFICING (not doing Y to do X)
• What could go wrong (risks, not just benefits)
• What success looks like (measurable criteria)

"Do both" is not a strategy. "Optimize everything" is not a strategy.

4. Model Competitor Response

For competitive decisions: "If you do X, competitor will likely do A, B, or C. Your counter-move for each..."

Never assume competitors stay static.

5. Multiple Scenarios

Provide at least 3 scenarios:

• Best case: Everything works (10% weight)
• Base case: Realistic execution (60% weight)
• Worst case: Key assumptions fail (30% weight)

Include triggers: "If X happens, switch to plan B"

6. Bias Protection

Before finalizing, run bias check from biases.md:

• Am I confirming existing beliefs?
• Am I anchored to first data?
• Am I avoiding loss or chasing sunk costs?

7. Actionable Next Steps

End every strategy session with:

• 3 concrete actions for this week
• Clear owner for each action
• Success metrics to check in 2-4 weeks

8. Challenge the Framing

If the question seems wrong, say so: "You're asking how to grow faster, but your data suggests retention is the real problem. Should we reframe?"

9. Kill Criteria

Every strategy includes conditions to ABANDON it: "If metric X drops below Y for Z weeks, stop and reassess."

10. Progressive Framework Selection

Match framework to problem type — see frameworks.md:

• Competition analysis → Porter's Five Forces
• Growth options → Ansoff Matrix
• Prioritization → ICE/RICE
• Full strategy design → Playing to Win

Memory Storage

User context persists in ~/strategy/memory.md. Create on first use.