Product strategy and mandate: Clarity before building

Product strategy is probably the most fundamental decision a product organization has to make. It defines the long-term goals of a product organization, the path to reach them and the allocation of resources to get there – much more than functions or features. And it is the basis for every clear mandate a team needs to work autonomously and effectively. Surprisingly many companies work without one – partly out of fear of committing to something, partly out of uncertainty about how to build one in the first place. We help you to change that. Hands-on, pragmatic and in days, not weeks.

Typical problems we see

  • Everything is important. Teams work on too many topics at the same time, and priorities change with every management meeting.
  • Strategy is a slide deck. Vision, mission, OKRs and business model canvas exist side by side – but no one can explain what the product organization is actually aiming for.
  • Goals without direction. Fuzzy buzzwords (“world-class UX”), naked financial targets (“EUR 30 million revenues in 2030”) or orders for individual features (“build a native app”) instead of strategic goals with a clear cause-effect relationship.
  • Teams wait for decisions. Without a clear mandate, every step needs to be aligned with stakeholders – and learning speed drops toward zero.
  • The plan does not survive contact with reality. The strategy has been defined, but what the teams actually do is something else entirely.

Why product strategy matters more than ever

With AI, even complex functions can be built in a fraction of the time. As a direct consequence, competitive pressure is increasing, and product management faces a growing mountain of options that can lead to decision paralysis or a chaotic clutter of too many features being built. Those who act without a clearly defined combination of goal and path easily get lost in the numerous, supposedly attractive options – and reduce the all-important learning speed toward zero. AI makes building cheaper. It does not make deciding what to build any easier. That is exactly what a product strategy is for.

Of course, we use AI in strategy work ourselves – wherever it saves time and broadens the perspective: to research and structure market and competitor information, to develop and challenge scenarios, to stress-test goals and assumptions and to prepare workshops. The decision itself remains what it always has been: a deliberate, courageous choice based on assumptions. No model can take it off your hands.

How we support you

We help you to define a product strategy that actually gives direction – and to translate it into clear mandates for autonomous teams. No fixed framework, but exactly the tools that fit your situation:

  • Product vision and playing field: For which target groups and in which context do we solve which problems – and how do we measure success? Narrow enough to enable real decisions.
  • Starting point and future factors: An honest look at product, business model, finances, people and processes – and at the developments in market, competition, regulation and technology that could change everything.
  • Strategic goals with a clear logic: „If we have achieved goal A by time B, then we will have competitive advantage C because …” – instead of buzzwords and naked financial targets.
  • The path: Almost any goal can be achieved in different ways. We consciously separate the what from the how to find the most efficient path.
  • Exploratory instead of linear: We look at all elements in no fixed order and as often as necessary – so that existing opinions are not merely confirmed and better options are not overlooked.
  • Clear mandates: We translate the strategy into mandates for your teams – with the strategy brief (Auftragsklärung) according to Stephen Bungay, OKRs or whatever format fits your organization.
  • Alignment that lasts: Briefing and backbriefing, regular reviews and hypothesis-driven implementation to close the gap between plans, actions and results.

How we work with you

  • Strategy workshops with your leadership team: A few focused, well-prepared sessions instead of a months-long strategy project. We prepare the facts, facilitate the discussion and make sure that decisions are actually made – and written down.
  • Mandate workshops with teams and stakeholders: One workshop to a clear, shared mandate for a product discovery or a strategic initiative – including the backbriefing when things change.
  • Sparring for product leaders: We accompany heads of product and CPOs over several weeks or months as a sparring partner for strategy, prioritization and stakeholder alignment.
  • Interim product leadership: We take over as product manager, head of product or CPO until the right person is on board – and set the strategic direction in the meantime.

Also available as in-house training

Want your team to build these skills itself? Our „Product strategy and mandate” deep dive – derived from the Product Discovery Masterclass – is tailored to your team and works with your real challenges. Possible contents: the elements of a product strategy, product vision and strategic goals, mandate clarification with the strategy brief (Auftragsklärung), briefing and backbriefing, OKRs and the use of AI in strategy work. In English or German, on-site at your company – e.g. in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Vienna or Zurich – or remote.

Frequently asked questions

What is a product strategy?

A product strategy defines the long-term goals of a product organization, the path to reach them and the allocation of resources to get there. It is based on a clear product vision, an honest analysis of the starting point and relevant future factors. A product strategy is not a list of features.

What is the difference between product vision and product strategy?

The product vision defines the playing field: for which target groups and in which context we solve which problems. The product strategy defines within this playing field which goal we want to achieve by when – and on which path.

What is a strategy brief (Auftragsklärung)?

A strategy brief is a method developed by Stephen Bungay to create alignment between management and teams. It clarifies the what and the why of a task – context, intent, higher intent, key tasks and boundaries – without prescribing the how. This allows teams to work autonomously and flexibly.

What can we do if there is no clear strategy?

In case of doubt, the product organization defines the goal of its product strategy before the overall corporate strategy does – of course not without an intensive discussion with the management. Not having a strategy is not an option. Nothing is worse for a product organization than strategic uncertainty.

The other areas of product discovery

Product strategy and mandate is one of four areas every product discovery has to cover. They are closely connected – insights from one area regularly change the others:

All four areas at a glance: What we do · All four areas in one training: Product Discovery Masterclass

Get in touch

Do you want more focus and direction in your product organization?

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