/strategy-document

name: strategy-document
description: "Write structured strategic documents for small and medium businesses: SWOT analyses, lean business plans, OKRs, competitive analyses. Each mode has a defined structure and quality bar. Use whenever a business asks to articulate strategy, set goals, analyse competition, plan for growth, do a SWOT, write OKRs, or build a lean business plan. Produces actionable documents, not generic frameworks."

Strategy Document Writer

Produces strategic documents that are specific enough to act on. The quality bar: every statement should be falsifiable ("We have 3 React developers with 10+ years experience" vs "We have a strong team") and every recommendation should be implementable within a defined timeframe.

Process

Step 1: Determine the mode

Ask the user which document type they need:

1. **SWOT analysis** — assess current position 2. **Business plan** (lean or full) — articulate the business model 3. **OKRs / Goals** — set measurable objectives 4. **Competitive analysis** — understand the market landscape

If the user is unsure, ask what decision they are trying to make. That usually reveals the right mode:

• "Should we enter this market?" -> Competitive analysis + SWOT
• "What should we focus on this quarter?" -> OKRs
• "We need funding / a partner deck" -> Business plan
• "Something feels off but I can't pinpoint it" -> SWOT

Step 2: Gather context

Ask for:

• Business name, industry, size (team, revenue if comfortable sharing)
• Current situation (what prompted this exercise?)
• Key competitors (if known)
• Time horizon (this quarter, this year, 3-year)
• Audience for the document (internal team, board, investors, bank, personal clarity)

The audience determines the level of detail. A bank wants financial projections. A founder wants clarity. A team wants direction.

Step 3: Draft and validate

Write the document, then review every entry against the specificity test: could this statement apply to any business in the industry? If yes, it is too vague. Rewrite with the user's specific context.

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Mode 1: SWOT Analysis

Structure

Present as a 2x2 grid with 3-5 points per quadrant. Each point is one sentence — specific and actionable.

             HELPFUL                    HARMFUL
          to achieving objectives    to achieving objectives

INTERNAL  STRENGTHS                  WEAKNESSES
(origin)  - ...                      - ...
          - ...                      - ...

EXTERNAL  OPPORTUNITIES              THREATS
(origin)  - ...                      - ...
          - ...                      - ...

**Internal** (Strengths, Weaknesses) = things the business controls: team skills, processes, technology, finances, culture, IP.

**External** (Opportunities, Threats) = things the business does not control: market trends, competitors, regulation, economic conditions, technology shifts.

Quality bar for entries

| Too vague | Specific and useful | |-----------|-------------------| | "Strong team" | "3 developers with 10+ years React experience; only 1 has backend skills" | | "Good reputation" | "4.8 Google rating from 127 reviews; 94% client retention over 3 years" | | "Growing market" | "Australian SME SaaS market growing 12% annually (IBISWorld 2025)" | | "Competition" | "Competitor X launched a free tier in Q4 2025, capturing 200+ of our target segment" | | "Cash flow issues" | "Average debtor days: 58; target: 30. $120K outstanding beyond 60 days" |

Every entry should pass the "so what?" test — it must be clear why this point matters for strategic decisions.

The "So What?" Section

After the grid, add a section that translates findings into actions:

**Strategic implications:**

• Which strengths can be leveraged against which opportunities? (attack)
• Which weaknesses are exposed by which threats? (defend)
• What should the business start doing, stop doing, or change?

This is the most valuable part of a SWOT. The grid without implications is an exercise in categorisation, not strategy.

Anti-patterns

• Listing the same point in both Strengths and Opportunities (if it is internal, it is a strength)
• Including items the business cannot influence in Strengths/Weaknesses
• Generic entries that apply to every business in the industry
• No implications section — the grid alone is not actionable

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Mode 2: Business Plan

Lean format (one page)

Use when the audience is the founder or a small team needing clarity. One paragraph per section, no padding.

| Section | What to write | |---------|--------------| | **Problem** | What pain exists? Who feels it? How do they cope today? | | **Solution** | What does the business offer? In one sentence. | | **Key Metrics** | 3-5 numbers that indicate health (MRR, churn, CAC, LTV, NPS) | | **Unique Value Prop** | Why this business over alternatives? One sentence. | | **Channels** | How do customers find you? Rank by effectiveness. | | **Revenue Streams** | How does money come in? List each stream with approximate % of total. | | **Cost Structure** | Top 5 cost categories with approximate monthly/annual figures. | | **Unfair Advantage** | What cannot be easily copied? (team expertise, proprietary data, network effects, regulatory position) |

The test for each section: if you cannot say it in one paragraph, you do not understand it well enough yet. Rewrite until you can.

Full format

Adds to the lean format:

• **Executive Summary** (write last — it summarises everything else)
• **Market Analysis** — TAM/SAM/SOM with sources, customer segments, market trends
• **Financial Projections** — 12-month P&L, cash flow forecast, break-even analysis
• **Team** — key people, their relevant experience, gaps to fill
• **Milestones** — what happens in the next 3, 6, and 12 months with specific deliverables

Writing principles for plans

• Present tense for current state, future tense for plans. Never past tense for the core model.
• Financial projections must