good-strategy

Evaluates strategy proposals against a structured kernel and pre-morts them.

Updated Feb 22, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/tomaszstaniak/pm-ai-skills --skill good-strategy
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: good-strategy
Source: https://github.com/tomaszstaniak/pm-ai-skills/tree/main/good-strategy
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/tomaszstaniak/pm-ai-skills --skill good-strategy

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps you diagnose whether a proposed plan is real strategy or just goals, vision, or fluff—and then rebuilds it into a coherent strategy kernel (diagnosis + guiding policy + coherent actions).

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Strategy kernel evaluation: distinguishes good strategy from bad by checking for a critical diagnosis, a trade-off-bearing guiding policy, and mutually reinforcing actions.
  • Pre-mortem stress testing: runs an “18 months later it failed” analysis to surface wrong diagnoses, weak trade-offs, incoherent action sets, or execution/environment/competition risks.
  • Bad-strategy detection: identifies the four hallmarks of failure (fluff, failure to face the challenge, goals mistaken for strategy, and bad strategic objectives) and provides repair steps.
  • Competitive positioning support (Porter): helps translate strategic positioning and activity fit into practical decisions about what to do and what to refuse.
  • Best-fit scenarios: strategy docs, OKRs/roadmaps, investment and hiring priorities, “strategic priorities” presentations, and competitive positioning discussions.

Quick Start

Use the good-strategy skill to evaluate the attached strategy doc by extracting its implied diagnosis, testing for trade-offs, and scoring how coherent the diagnosis-to-actions alignment is.

Frequently Asked Questions about good-strategy

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I evaluate if my product strategy contains real trade-offs or just fluff?

To evaluate if your product strategy contains real trade-offs, you must extract its implied diagnosis and check if a guiding policy rules out specific alternatives. A good strategy requires coherence from diagnosis to mutually reinforcing actions, rather than just listing goals.

What is a strategy kernel and how does it fix bad strategic objectives?

A strategy kernel is a coherent structure comprising a critical diagnosis, a guiding policy with explicit trade-offs, and mutually reinforcing actions. It fixes bad strategic objectives by replacing vague goals and fluff with a focused response to the actual challenge.

How do I run a pre-mortem stress test on a roadmap or OKR review?

To run a pre-mortem stress test on a roadmap, you assume the strategy failed 18 months later and analyze why. You surface risks across diagnosis, policy, coherence, execution, environment, and competition to identify wrong assumptions and weak trade-offs.

Can I use competitive positioning analysis to decide what product features to refuse?

Yes, competitive positioning analysis helps translate strategic positioning into practical decisions about what to do and what to refuse. By checking activity fit, you ensure your roadmap actions are mutually reinforcing and aligned with the guiding policy.

When should I not use a guiding policy for investment and hiring prioritization?

You should not use a guiding policy for investment and hiring prioritization if your initial diagnosis fails to face the core challenge. Without a critical diagnosis of the situation, any policy will lack coherence and fail to produce mutually reinforcing actions.

What's the best way to identify the hallmarks of bad strategy in a strategy doc?

The best way to identify bad strategy in a strategy doc is to check for four hallmarks: fluff, failure to face the challenge, goals mistaken for strategy, and bad strategic objectives. You then rebuild the valid parts into a coherent strategy kernel.