How to build tech strategy — in essential elements

What helps create BUSINESS strategy, doesn’t help create TECH strategy.

This is why strategy books like “Good strategy, Bad strategy” are hard to translate into how to build tech strategy.

Dr. Marc Sniukas’ Strategy Diamond breaks business strategy into five essential elements:

1️⃣ Arenas: Where will we compete? Define your playing field.

2️⃣ Vehicles: How will we get there? Choose your path to market.

3️⃣ Differentiators: How will we win? Stand out in the crowd.

4️⃣ Staging: What will be our speed and sequence of moves? Plan your rollout.

5️⃣ Economic Logic: How will we make money? Nail down the financials.
See the sketch below.

On the other hand….

To build TECH STRATEGY to deliver the business strategy you have to think about:

1️⃣ Tech Gap:
How will the technology need to look like to deliver these business goals, in this type of market place?
Identify the gap between where the tech is now and where it needs to be to deliver the company goals.

2️⃣ Tech Skills Gap:
What skills will be needed to be able to fill this Tech Gap: How will we fill these skills gaps? Hire new people or up-skill our teams with training?