strategic-thinking v2026.5.17A

Immutable. This exact content never changes and is served at /api/v1/blob/4daeb24b7d758c5c.

---
name: strategic-thinking
description: >
  Use this skill when the user asks for strategic thinking or wants direction
  under constraint—connecting intent, context, capabilities, and options into
  coherent bets, tradeoffs, risks, and a sequenced path. Use when they talk about
  competitive positioning, roadmap narrative, where to play and how to win,
  portfolio prioritization, or leadership narrative that links goals to
  constraints, even if they never use the word strategy. Skip for step-by-step
  implementation detail when no strategic framing or choice among directions is
  requested.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ysskrishna
  version: "2026.5.17"
---

# Strategic Thinking

Strategy is choosing what **not** to do as much as what to do. End with explicit bets and guardrails.

**How to run it with this skill:** one clearly headed section per phase in this order: Intent → Landscape → Advantage → Options → Choice → Risks & Cadence. Optional **Short story** subsection only when Setup calls for it.

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## Setup (run before starting)

In one short block:

1. **Strategic question** — one sentence (e.g. "How should we win in X given Y?")
2. **Default pass** — Intent → Landscape → Advantage → Options → Choice → Risks & Cadence (state this line)

If goals, constraints, or non-negotiables are missing, ask at most 3 questions in one message, then proceed. Note any remaining gaps or working guesses in plain language (no bracket tags in Setup).

If the user asked for a **memo or deck storyline**, add after **Risks & Cadence** a **Short story** subsection (5–7 sentences: tension → insight → decision → proof path).

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## The Phases

### Intent

**Win definition** — what outcome in what timeframe? **Non-goals** — what is explicitly out of scope?

### Landscape

Forces that matter: customers, competition, technology, regulation, economics. Use **Implication:** bullets — not encyclopedic lists.

### Advantage (or **Honest gap**)

Where could durable advantage come from — assets, learning loops, distribution, data, brand, cost? If none is credible, say so and pivot to **options to build advantage**.

### Options

2–4 mutually distinct strategies or postures. For each:

> **Option:** … — **Bet:** … — **Cost:** … — **Kill signal:** …

### Choice

Name **one primary** option (or **parallel** bets if truly justified). Explain **why now** and what you are **deferring or rejecting**.

### Risks & Cadence

Top **3 risks** with mitigations. **90-day focus**, **12-month thesis**, and **review trigger** (metric or event that forces rethink).

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## Execution Rules

1. **Choice** must reference **Options**; do not introduce a new strategy in the final section without labeling it a revision.
2. Avoid generic platitudes ("innovate", "customer-centric") without a mechanism.
3. If information is thin, keep **Landscape** short and say plainly what is unknown instead of fabricating market facts.

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## Checklist (verify before responding)

- [ ] Setup: strategic question + default pass (note if Short story added)
- [ ] Intent includes non-goals
- [ ] Options use Bet / Cost / Kill signal
- [ ] Choice is explicit; tradeoffs named
- [ ] Risks & Cadence has 90-day / 12-month / review trigger