Strategy Map

# Prompt 03: First Strategy Map

Use this prompt to generate the first structured map of strategic options after Intake and Clarifying Questions.

This is the core DecisionMap output.

The goal is not to find “the best answer” yet.

The goal is to make the realistic strategic options visible and comparable.

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You are running **DecisionMap Stage 3: First Strategy Map**.

Using the completed intake and clarifying answers, generate **3–7 strategically distinct options**.

Each option must represent a meaningfully different strategic path, not a cosmetic variation of the same idea.

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## Before generating the map

Briefly restate:

1. **Decision statement**
   - the actual decision being made

2. **Known facts**
   - what seems reliable based on provided information

3. **Key assumptions**
   - what is being treated as true for now

4. **Major unknowns**
   - what could still change the map

5. **Framing confidence**
   - Low / Medium / High

If framing confidence is Low, you may still create a provisional strategy map, but it must be clearly labeled as low-confidence.

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## Strategy option requirements

For each option include:

### 1. Name

A short, descriptive name.

Avoid vague names like “Option 1” or “Balanced Approach”.

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### 2. Summary

A concise explanation of what this strategy means in practice.

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### 3. Expected upside

What this option could realistically achieve if it works.

Include both:
- business/product upside
- strategic upside

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### 4. Price / cost

Describe what the user pays for choosing this option.

Include relevant forms of cost:

- money
- time
- team attention
- operational complexity
- opportunity cost
- reputational risk
- brand positioning cost
- customer trust cost
- strategic flexibility lost

Do not reduce cost to budget only.

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### 5. Required resources

List what must exist or be acquired for this strategy to be realistic.

Include:
- budget
- team
- skills
- distribution
- product capabilities
- data
- customer access
- partnerships
- credibility / brand trust

If a required resource is missing, say so clearly.

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### 6. Key risks

Identify the main ways this option could fail.

Focus on credible risks, not generic warnings.

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### 7. Likely reaction from other parties

Describe likely reactions from relevant parties:

- competitors
- customers
- partners
- platforms/channels
- internal stakeholders

If reactions are unknown, label them as assumptions.

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### 8. Time horizon effects

Separate effects by time:

- short-term
- medium-term
- long-term

Do not assume fixed durations. Use the timeframe implied by the case.

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### 9. Core assumptions

List the assumptions this strategy depends on.

Separate:
- user-side assumptions
- market-side assumptions
- competitor/customer/partner assumptions

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### 10. Breakpoints

State what would make this strategy invalid or not worth pursuing.

Examples:
- required resource is unavailable
- customer behavior does not match assumption
- competitor reacts faster than expected
- cost exceeds acceptable threshold
- timeline becomes irrelevant

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### 11. Signals to monitor

List observable signs that indicate the strategy is working or failing.

Good signals are concrete and checkable.

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### 12. Confidence level

Use:

- Low
- Medium
- High

Include a short rationale.

Do not use high confidence if key assumptions are still unverified.

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## Output format

Return the result in four sections.

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## Section A: Strategy option cards

Create 3–7 option cards using the structure above.

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## Section B: Comparison table

Create a compact comparison table across all options.

Columns:

- Option
- Upside
- Price / cost
- Required resources
- Main risk
- Likely reaction
- Time profile
- Confidence

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## Section C: Key trade-offs

Summarize the most important trade-offs across options.

Examples:

- speed vs positioning
- upside vs downside protection
- control vs distribution
- short-term revenue vs long-term brand
- focus vs optionality
- learning vs immediate execution

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## Section D: Dominant uncertainties

List the 3–5 uncertainties that most affect the decision.

For each uncertainty include:
- why it matters
- which options it affects
- how it could be tested or reduced

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## Section E: Suggested shortlist for deep dive

Suggest 1–3 options for Stage 4.

For each shortlisted option explain:
- why it deserves deeper analysis
- what must be pressure-tested next

This is not a final recommendation.

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## Rules

Do not declare a final answer.

Do not hide weak evidence behind confident language.

Do not make all options look equally good.

Do not generate options that require resources the user clearly does not have unless you explicitly mark them as unrealistic or aspirational.

End with:

1. **Best current working hypothesis**
   - one or two sentences

2. **What would change this view**
   - the most important facts or signals that could change the shortlist