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name: strategy-advisor description: | Helps with product and business strategy using proven frameworks. Use when: defining product direction, building strategy documents, diagnosing strategy vs execution problems, prioritizing strategically, or assessing competitive position. Includes: Product Strategy Stack, DHM, Seven Powers, Execution vs Strategy Diagnosis frameworks. Sources: Ravi Mehta, Gibson Biddle, Hamilton Helmer, Shreyas Doshi, Ami Vora.

Strategy Advisor Skill

Help users develop, refine, and execute product and business strategy.

When This Skill Activates

• "Help me with product strategy"
• "How do I prioritize?"
• "I can't decide between A and B"
• "Is this a strategy or execution problem?"
• "What's our competitive moat?"
• "How do I write a strategy doc?"
• "We're not hitting our goals"

Framework Selection Guide

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Framework 1: Product Strategy Stack

Source: Ravi Mehta - Lenny's Podcast Key Insight: If a PM can't decide between option A and B, the root cause is almost always a gap in understanding strategy, not a gap in prioritization skill.

The Five Layers (Top to Bottom)

Layer 1: Company Mission

• The change the company wants to bring to the world
• Qualitative and aspirational
• Example: Tinder: "Make single life more fun"

Layer 2: Company Strategy

• The logical plan to achieve the mission
• Includes: target market, value prop, business model
• Must be rigorous, not aspirational

Layer 3: Product Strategy

• Connective tissue between company strategy and product work
• Defines what the product will be
• Must include wireframes (not just words)

Layer 4: Product Roadmap

• Sequence of work to fulfill strategy
• Time-bound initiatives
• Flows FROM strategy

Layer 5: Product Goals

• Measurable outcomes
• Come AFTER roadmap (contrarian view)
• Measure strategy progress

Key Insight: Wireframes Required

"Strategy docs aren't complete without wireframes. When you talk about strategy in words alone, everyone takes away a different interpretation."

Example: Mobile apps have 4-5 nav items. What are they? Words alone → different interpretations.

Debugging Process (Bottom-Up)

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Starting with goals (they should come last)
• Strategy in words only (needs visuals)
• Conflating the layers
• Skipping product strategy layer

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Framework 2: DHM Framework (Consumer Products)

Source: Gibson Biddle - Lenny's Podcast Key Insight: Great product strategy creates customer delight in hard-to-copy, margin-enhancing ways.

The Three Tests

D - Delight Does this meaningfully improve the customer experience?

• Not just "nice to have"
• Creates emotional response
• Drives word of mouth

H - Hard to Copy Can competitors easily replicate this? Hard-to-copy advantages:

• Brand
• Network effects
• Unique technology
• Economies of scale
• Switching costs

M - Margin-Enhancing Does this improve unit economics over time?

• Reduces costs
• Increases willingness to pay
• Improves retention
• Enables pricing power

Applying DHM

Step 1: Generate Strategy Ideas List potential strategic moves

Step 2: Score Each on D, H, M

Step 3: Prioritize DHM Winners Best strategies score high on all three. Watch out for:

• High D, Low H = Easily copied
• High H, Low D = Doesn't matter
• High M, Low D = Race to bottom

Netflix Examples

• Personalization: High D (finds shows for you), High H (data + algorithms), High M (better retention)
• Original content: High D (exclusive shows), High H (can't copy), Medium M (expensive but drives subs)

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Optimizing only for Delight (copycats catch up)
• Building Hard to Copy that doesn't Delight
• Ignoring Margin implications

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Framework 3: Seven Powers (Competitive Moats)

Source: Hamilton Helmer - Lenny's Podcast Key Insight: Strategy is a route to continuing Power in significant markets.

The Seven Powers

1. Scale Economies Unit costs decline as volume increases.

• Example: Netflix content cost per subscriber
• Test: Do we get cheaper as we grow?

2. Network Effects Product improves as more people use it.

• Example: LinkedIn's value grows with users
• Test: Does each user make it better for others?

3. Counter-Positioning New business model incumbent can't adopt.

• Example: Netflix streaming vs Blockbuster stores
• Test: Would copying us hurt their existing business?

4. Switching Costs Cost to switch to competitor is high.

• Example: Salesforce data + workflow lock-in
• Test: How painful is it to leave us?

5. Branding Higher perceived value enabling price premium.

• Example: Apple's brand commands premium
• Test: Can we charge more for same features?

6. Cornered Resource Exclusive access to valuable asset.

• Example: Exclusive content deals
• Test: Do we have something others can't get?

7. Process Power Superior processes embedded in organization.

• Example: Toyota Production System
• Test: Are our processes better AND hard to copy?

Power Assessment

Step 1: Identify Potential Powers Which powers could apply to your business?

Step 2: Assess Current Strength

Step 3: Identify Power-Building Opportunities What actions would strengthen or create powers?

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Claiming powers you don't have
• Confusing competitive advantage with power
• Ignoring market size (power in small market = limited value)
• Building moat without product-market fit first

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Framework 4: Execution vs Strategy Diagnosis

Source: Shreyas Doshi - Lenny's Podcast Key Insight: Most problems blamed on strategy are actually execution problems, and vice versa.

The Diagnostic Question

When something isn't working, ask: "If we executed this perfectly, would it work?"

• Yes → Execution problem (fix how you're doing it)
• No → Strategy problem (fix what you're doing)

Common Misdiagnosis

Strategy blamed, Execution at fault:

• "Our positioning is wrong" → Actually: messaging is confusing
• "Wrong market" → Actually: wrong go-to-market motion
• "Product doesn't fit" → Actually: onboarding is broken

Execution blamed, Strategy at fault:

• "Team isn't executing" → Actually: strategy is unclear
• "We need better PMs" → Actually: priorities are wrong
• "Engineering is slow" → Actually: building wrong things

Diagnosis Process

Step 1: Describe the Problem What specific outcome isn't being achieved?

Step 2: Apply the Test "If a team of A+ executors took this strategy, would it work?"

Step 3: Look for Evidence

Step 4: Address Root Cause

• Execution fix: Better processes, skills, resources
• Strategy fix: Revisit positioning, market, approach

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Defaulting to strategy change (easier than hard execution work)
• Defaulting to execution blame (avoids strategic questions)
• Not gathering evidence before diagnosing
• Changing both at once (can't learn which was wrong)

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Framework 5: Execution Over Strategy (80/20)

Source: Ami Vora - Lenny's Podcast Key Insight: For most products, success is about 20% strategy and 80% execution.

The Reality

• Most product advice focuses on strategy
• Execution is where products succeed or fail
• Great strategy with poor execution loses to good strategy with great execution

"Good Enough" Strategy Test

Ask: "If we execute perfectly on this strategy, could we succeed?"

• Yes → Execute
• No → Refine strategy (but set a deadline)

Ruthless Prioritization Principles

1. One thing at a time - Focus team energy
2. Finish before starting - Complete current work
3. Sequence, don't parallel - Fewer balls in air
4. Kill zombies - End projects going nowhere
5. Protect the team - Shield from distractions

The Priority Stack

Key: If everything is P0, nothing is.

Ship-Learn Cycle

1. Ship smallest valuable increment
2. Measure impact immediately
3. Learn from results
4. Adjust execution (rarely strategy)
5. Ship next increment

When to Actually Change Strategy

• Fundamental assumption proven wrong
• Market shifted dramatically
• Multiple execution attempts failed
• New information changes everything

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-strategizing (waiting for perfect plan)
• Under-prioritizing (everything is P0)
• Mistaking motion for execution
• Abandoning strategy too early
• Cutting quality for speed

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How to Apply This Skill

1. Identify the strategic question

   • Building strategy → Product Strategy Stack + DHM
   • Assessing competition → Seven Powers
   • Something not working → Execution vs Strategy
   • Prioritization → Execution Over Strategy

2. Walk through the selected framework systematically

3. Push for specifics (strategy without specifics = useless)

4. Recommend debugging when appropriate

Related Skills

• /decision-maker - For specific strategic decisions
• /goal-setter - For goal-setting tied to strategy
• /growth-advisor - For growth strategy specifically

Full SOPs (Deep Dives)

Product Strategy

• Product Strategy Stack
• DHM Framework
• Seven Powers
• Execution vs Strategy
• Execution Over Strategy
• Differentiation vs Table Stakes
• Ship to Learn
• Swinging the Pendulum

AI Strategy

• AI Eval-Driven Development
• AI Platform Strategy
• AI Product Strategy Assessment
• AI Product Differentiation
• Consumer AI Metrics
• Product Team Scaling AI Era
• AI-First Product Transformation

Startup Strategy

• Startup Idea Validation
• Founder-Market Fit
• Avoiding Tarpit Ideas
• Fall in Love with Problem
• PMF Iteration Journey
• Crisis Management

Pivot & Positioning

• Pivot Decision Framework
• Bottom-Up Enterprise
• Utility Curve Investment
• Customer Value First