Christian Idiodi welcomes back SVPG partner Lea Hickman for a practical, in-the-room look at the Strategy Jumpstart: the tool SVPG uses to help organizations build or refine their product strategy. They unpack who actually needs a seat at the table, how gathering insights ahead of time exposes an organization's blind spots and bias before anyone starts arguing about priorities, and why focus, not consensus, is the hardest and most valuable output of the exercise.

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Today's discussion unpacks:

• Why eight to ten people is the sweet spot for decision-making

• How insight-gathering exposes an organization's hidden bias before decisions get made

• The real reason focus is harder than most leaders expect

• How to stop leaders from weaponizing metrics to defend their own turf

• How to communicate a new strategy without losing team trust

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SVPG on product strategy:

• Product Strategy: Overview: https://www.svpg.com/product-strategy-overview/

• Product Strategy: Focus: https://www.svpg.com/product-strategy-focus/

• Product Strategy: Insights: https://www.svpg.com/product-strategy-insights/

• Product Strategy: Actions: https://www.svpg.com/product-strategy-actions/

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Where to find Lea Hickman:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/

• SVPG profile: https://www.svpg.com/team/lea-hickman/

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Where to find Christian Idiodi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/

• SVPG profile: https://www.svpg.com/team/christian-idiodi/

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Where to find SVPG:

• SVPG's newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed/

• Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/

• Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/

• Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/

• Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:40 What a Strategy Jumpstart actually is

01:08 How it differs from a typical strategy offsite

02:04 Who needs to be in the room

03:14 The right number of people for the room

04:11 When product teams should join the room

05:14 The homework required before a Jumpstart

07:26 Why focus is the hardest part of strategy

08:56 Where leaders avoid making the hard calls

11:44 Coaching leaders through disagreement on priorities

14:01 Weaponizing metrics instead of using them honestly

15:20 What good alignment looks like after a Jumpstart

18:13 What to do immediately after a Jumpstart, and how to communicate it

22:17 Building the discipline to hold focus as priorities shift

26:58 Getting buy-in when a CEO adds a new priority

28:26 The biggest lessons from running Jumpstarts

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Disclaimer:

While this podcast is named "Product Therapy", it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/

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Production:

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