Strategic Questions
The following is adapted from my notes on Seth Godin’s book “This Is Strategy”.
Audience
- Who is this project for, and what change do I seek to create for them?
- What is my smallest viable audience, and how can I expand or deepen it?
- How does my project align with their motivations, identity, and worldview?
- Why would they talk about or recommend it?
Plan
- What is my clear path to creating the change I seek?
- What resources, assets, and partnerships support this project, and are they enough?
- What is my timeline, and when do I ship or pivot?
- How do I adapt based on what I learn?
System
- What systems am I operating within, and do they support or resist this change?
- What dynamics must shift for success, and how can I influence them?
- Where will tension or resistance arise from others, institutions, or myself?
Network
- How can I design for network effects, virality, and cultural contagion?
- How will early successes lead to later ones?
- What scaffolding or structures help participants thrive and spread the message?
Game
- What games are being played, who sets the rules, and which games matter?
- What are the dominant incentives or metrics, and how does my project reshape them?
- How does my approach navigate incumbents, sunk costs, and switching barriers?
Learning
- What feedback loops exist, and which help or hinder?
- Where can I gain insight, or learn from similar projects?
- How do I shorten delays in learning and decision-making?
Desire
- Am I tapping into deep desires like status, affiliation, or meaning?
- What transformation does this project offer my audience, and me?
- Is it built on abundance or scarcity?
Resilience
- How resilient is my approach in the face of surprises or setbacks?
- What distractions, false proxies, or status games should I avoid?
- How do I resist conformity and maintain integrity over time?