strategy-memo

Language: Respond in the user's language. If unclear, default to the language of the user's message.

Strategy Memo

Transforms rough business ideas and insights into structured strategy memos using a 4-layer framework, with systematic gap analysis and logical consistency checking.

4-Layer Framework

Layer 1: Market (Why Now?)

Element	Description	Key Questions
Market Dynamics	Current state and trajectory	What is changing in this market? What are the macro/micro trends?
Customer Pain	Problems worth solving	Who suffers? How much does it cost them? How do they cope today?
Timing	Why this opportunity exists now	What has changed (technology, regulation, behavior) to create this window?
Competitive Landscape	Who else is here	Who are the incumbents? New entrants? What are their blind spots?

Layer 2: Value Proposition (What?)

Element	Description	Key Questions
Core Offering	What we build/deliver	What is the product/service? What does it do concretely?
Differentiation	Why us over alternatives	What is our unique angle? What moat can we build?
Customer Value	Measurable impact	What ROI/outcome can customers expect? How do we prove it?
Positioning	Market perception	How do we want to be perceived? What category do we create or own?

Layer 3: Technology (How?)

Element	Description	Key Questions
Architecture	Technical approach	What is the high-level system design? Buy vs. build?
Key Technology Bets	Critical technical choices	What technologies are we betting on? What are the risks?
Data Strategy	Data as an asset	What data do we need? How do we acquire/generate/protect it?
Technical Moat	Defensibility through technology	What gets harder to replicate over time? Network effects? Data flywheel?

Layer 4: Execution (Who/When/How Much?)

Element	Description	Key Questions
Team	Who executes	What capabilities do we need? What do we have vs. need to hire?
Milestones	Key checkpoints	What are the 3/6/12-month milestones? What proves/disproves the thesis?
Resources	Investment required	How much funding? What infrastructure? What partnerships?
Risks & Mitigations	What could go wrong	Top 3-5 risks and how we address each
Go-to-Market	How we launch and grow	First customers? Sales motion? Growth loops?

Workflow

Step 1: Input Analysis

Accept the user's raw input (idea memo, conversation notes, brainstorm output) and:

1. Extract key claims and assertions
2. Identify which of the 4 layers are covered
3. Note which layers have gaps

Step 2: Gap Analysis

Generate a gap analysis table:

## Gap Analysis

| Layer | Element | Status | Notes |
|-------|---------|--------|-------|
| Market | Market Dynamics | Covered | Strong macro analysis |
| Market | Customer Pain | Partial | Pain identified but not quantified |
| Market | Timing | Gap | No "why now" argument |
| Market | Competitive Landscape | Covered | 3 competitors identified |
| Value Prop | Core Offering | Covered | Clear product description |
| Value Prop | Differentiation | Partial | Claimed but not evidenced |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

Status levels:

• Covered: Adequately addressed with evidence/reasoning
• Partial: Mentioned but needs more depth or evidence
• Gap: Not addressed at all
• Assumption: Stated as fact but actually an untested assumption

Step 3: Consistency Check

Verify logical coherence across layers:

Check	Description
Market-VP alignment	Does the value proposition address the identified market pain?
VP-Tech feasibility	Can the technology actually deliver the promised value?
Tech-Execution realism	Does the team/resource plan match the technical ambition?
Market-Execution timing	Do milestones align with market window?
Overall coherence	Does the story hold together end-to-end?

Step 4: Memo Generation

Standard Memo Template

# Strategy Memo: [Title]

**Date**: [Date]
**Author**: [Author]
**Status**: Draft / Review / Final
**Confidentiality**: [Level]

---

## Executive Summary
3-5 sentences capturing the core thesis, opportunity size, and recommended action.

## 1. Market Opportunity
### 1.1 Market Dynamics
### 1.2 Customer Pain Point
### 1.3 Why Now
### 1.4 Competitive Landscape

## 2. Value Proposition
### 2.1 Core Offering
### 2.2 Differentiation
### 2.3 Customer Value / ROI
### 2.4 Positioning

## 3. Technology & Product
### 3.1 Architecture Overview
### 3.2 Key Technology Bets
### 3.3 Data Strategy
### 3.4 Technical Moat

## 4. Execution Plan
### 4.1 Team & Capabilities
### 4.2 Milestones (3 / 6 / 12 months)
### 4.3 Resource Requirements
### 4.4 Risks & Mitigations
### 4.5 Go-to-Market Strategy

## 5. Open Questions
Numbered list of unresolved issues that need further investigation.

## 6. Next Steps
Concrete actions with owners and deadlines.

## Appendix
- Gap analysis table
- Assumptions log
- Sources

Quality Criteria

Memo Scoring Rubric

Dimension	Strong	Adequate	Weak
Clarity	Thesis stated in one sentence	Thesis identifiable but verbose	Thesis unclear
Evidence	Data-backed claims with sources	Some data, some assertions	Mostly opinion
Completeness	All 4 layers substantively covered	Minor gaps acknowledged	Major layers missing
Coherence	Logical flow across all layers	Some disconnects noted	Contradictions present
Actionability	Clear next steps with owners/dates	General direction provided	No clear path forward

Iteration Modes

Mode	Description	When to Use
Expand	Deepen a specific layer or element	"Tell me more about the competitive landscape"
Challenge	Stress-test assumptions and claims	"What could go wrong with this thesis?"
Sharpen	Tighten the argument, remove fluff	"Make this more concise and compelling"
Pivot	Explore alternative framings	"What if we targeted a different segment?"

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Solution-first thinking: Starting with technology instead of market need
• Hand-waving at execution: Vague milestones like "scale the platform"
• Competitor dismissal: "No one else does this" (almost never true)
• TAM abuse: Citing a huge market without narrowing to the addressable portion
• Missing the "why now": An idea without timing rationale is just an observation
• Assumption blindness: Treating hypotheses as established facts