Strategy: Choose · Core
Choose your strategic bets and what you won't do
Strategy is choosing where to play and how to win, and saying no to the rest. Pick a few bets that tackle the core challenge, and write down what you are stopping.
About 3-5 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Strategy and visionPrioritisation and roadmapping
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- List the options that could tackle the core challenge.
- For each, write where you would play and how you would win.
- Pick no more than three bets.
- Write down what you will not do, and why.
- Note what must be true for each bet to work.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Compare options against the diagnosis and your capabilities.
- Test the riskiest assumption behind each bet quickly.
- Agree the guiding approach that links the bets together.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Make choices that cut across teams and budgets.
- Stop or shrink work that doesn't fit, and say so openly.
- Balance bold bets with protecting the core business.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Reviewed by: Senior leader / sponsor
Tool examples
- Miro
- Compare options side by side against the diagnosis.
- Confluence
- Publish the chosen bets and the stop list together.
Definition of done
- No more than three bets chosen
- Stop list written
- Key assumptions noted for each bet
Common pitfalls
- Choosing everything
- No stop list
- Bets that don't address the diagnosis