Strategy: Plan · Core
Allocate people and budget across a portfolio
Leaders decide how much to invest in today's products, the next growth areas and future options. Make the split on purpose and review it regularly.
About 3-8 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Strategy and visionPrioritisation and roadmappingCommercial and business sense
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- Experienced (5+ years)
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- List the products and initiatives in the portfolio.
- Group them into core business, emerging growth and future options.
- Show how people and budget are split today.
- Propose the split the strategy needs.
- Agree it with finance and the sponsor.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Use evidence, not history, to set each allocation.
- Protect a share for future options so they aren't squeezed out.
- Agree triggers to move people and money between areas.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Review the allocation every quarter against results.
- Stop or merge work that no longer earns its place.
- Explain the trade-offs openly to teams and leaders.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Business Analyst or Data Analyst: Model the current and proposed split
Reviewed by: Senior leader / sponsor
Tool examples
- Power BI
- Show spend and people by portfolio area.
- Google Docs
- Model the proposed split in a shared sheet.
Definition of done
- Current split shown
- Target split agreed
- Review rhythm set
Common pitfalls
- Funding last year's plan again
- No room for future options
- Allocations nobody revisits