This article was originally posted on GrowthSprint Substack by Product Manager and Women Devs Singapore Product Lead, Ana Chagelishvili.
Product managers don’t just manage roadmaps.
They shape the future.
But in reality Most PMs spend their days buried in Jira tickets, wrangling stakeholders, and negotiating whether this bug fix is a P0 or a “nice to have.”
If you’ve ever thought, I don’t have time for strategy , I get it. The day-to-day grind is relentless. But here’s something I’ve learned:
Great PMs don’t wait for time to do strategy. They make time.
Because they know it’s not just another task on the list—it’s the highest-leverage work they’ll ever do.
And yet, most PMs hesitate when it comes to strategy. Not because they don’t see the value, but because it feels big, vague, and intimidating.
Good news: Strategy is not a mystical superpower. It’s a skill.
Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get. The better you get, the more impact you create. And the more impact you create, the faster you grow in your career.
But before we get to how, let’s talk about what strategy actually is.
What is a strategy?
Strategy, at its core, is just a plan to win. It’s your bridge from where you are to where you want to be.
Think of it like planning a road trip. You wouldn’t just get in the car and start driving (unless you’re on a personal mission to get lost in the middle of nowhere). You’d figure out:
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Where you’re going → (your vision)
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Why you’re going there → (your mission)
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How you’ll get there → (your strategy)
And once that’s clear, things like what snacks to pack (your roadmap) and how to know you’re making progress (your goals) become much easier.
That’s why everything in product strategy follows a simple sequence:
🎯 Mission → Vision → Strategy → Goals → Roadmap
If the first three are solid, the last two basically write themselves.
Here is a great example of Mission/Vision/Startegy statements from Wise:
🚀 Mission (WHY do we exist?)
”Money without borders—instant, convenient, transparent, and eventually free.”
🛣️ Vision (WHERE are we going?)
”A world where moving money is as simple and free as sending an email.”
🏆 Strategy (HOW do we get there?)
✔ Instant – Build direct integrations with payment networks to eliminate delays.
✔ Convenient – Enable transfers across mobile, web, and even smart assistants.
✔ Transparent – Show real exchange rates upfront (unlike certain other financial institutions).
✔ Free – Reduce costs to zero by leveraging technology and scale.
See how clear and actionable that is? No fluff, no buzzwords—just a direct plan to win.
And that’s what good strategy looks like.
But where does it start?
Step 1: Do the Groundwork
Great strategy doesn’t come from nowhere—it comes from understanding.
You wouldn’t walk into a kitchen, grab random ingredients, and expect to bake a perfect cake ( unless you thrive on culinary chaos ).
Same goes for strategy. Before making big decisions, you need to understand strategic context —the bigger ecosystem in which your product operates.
If you’ve done this properly, you should have:
✅ A clear problem definition —you know what you’re solving before jumping into solutions.
✅ Strategic alignment —your work ties back to the company’s mission and big-picture goals.
✅ Deep customer understanding —you know what they need, not just what they say they want.
✅ Stakeholder buy-in —key people are aligned before execution starts.
Step 2: Craft Your Strategy
Now comes the fun part: actually writing your strategy.
This is where many PMs get stuck. They either:
❌ Write something too vague ( “We’ll drive innovation through data-driven insights.” —Okay… but how?)
❌ Write something too detailed ( “We will A/B test button colors and optimize the checkout flow.” —That’s a roadmap, not a strategy.)
The trick is to keep it clear, focused, and actionable.
Here’s how to start:
✍️ Mission Template:
“We exist to help [target audience] [do what] so they can [achieve what outcome].”
✍️ Vision Template:
“A world where [positive change] happens for [target audience].”
For strategy, I recommend using the Pyramid Principle :
1️⃣ Start with the recommendation.
2️⃣ Then support it with facts and reasoning.
This keeps your strategy structured and easy to follow.
A great strategy should:
✅ Clearly define the core problem to solve.
✅ Be based on real insights (not just opinions).
✅ Outline concrete actions to solve the problem.
✅ Prioritize a few high-impact bets instead of doing everything.
✅ Create a logical path from problem to solution —everything connects.
If your strategy checks these boxes, you’re on the right track.
But having a strategy isn’t enough—you need to communicate it.
Step 3: Communicate Your Strategy
If no one understands your strategy, it might as well not exist.
So, how do you make sure it doesn’t get lost in a Notion doc somewhere?
1️⃣ Repeat it constantly. If you think you’ve said it enough, say it 10 more times.
2️⃣ Use it to guide decisions. If something doesn’t align with the strategy, it’s probably a distraction.
3️⃣ Be ready to evolve it. Strategy isn’t set in stone—if you learn something new, update it.
And for different audiences, use different formats:
📄 One-pager – For leadership and quick alignment.
📊 Presentation deck – For sharing across teams.
📥 Long-form doc – For deeper collaboration.
🎥 (Optional) Video – If you want to rally the org behind it.
💡 The best strategies don’t live in slides—they live in people’s minds.
Final Thought: Strategy Starts With Mindset
If I asked you to sit down and craft a game-changing strategy, what state of mind would you need to be in?
You’d probably say: calm, clear, creative.
Now ask yourself— how often do you actually feel that way at work?
Most PMs operate in reactive mode —firefighting, context-switching, and drowning in requests.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
You can’t create a bold, visionary strategy when your brain is stuck in survival mode.
When you’re overwhelmed, your mind narrows. You default to short-term fixes, safe choices, and low-risk decisions.
But strategy isn’t about playing it safe.
Strategy is about seeing the bigger picture, taking intelligent bets, and leading with confidence—even in uncertainty.
So before you start planning, pause.
Take a breath. Zoom out. Step into your future self.
💡 What would the leader I want to become do in this moment?
💡 What choices would I make that align with my long-term vision, not just short-term fears?
Because the truth is, your ability to think strategically isn’t just a skill—it’s a mindset.
And the PMs who master that mindset?
They’re not just shaping products.
They’re shaping the future. 🚀