Coowoolf The Four BBs Strategy Framework
Overview
A strategic allocation framework to categorize product work into four distinct buckets, ensuring balanced roadmap between maintenance, growth, and innovation.
Core principle: If I gave you 100 focus points, how much goes in each bucket?
The Four Buckets
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RISK │
│ Low ◄─────────────────────────────► High │
│ ┌───────────────────────┬───────────────────────┐ │
│ │ BRILLIANT BASICS │ BIG BETS │ Differen- │
│ │ │ │ tiator │
│ │ Non-negotiable │ Large, risky │ │
│ │ tech debt, hygiene │ initiatives for │ │
│ │ "Brilliant" not │ significant growth │ │
│ │ just "debt" │ │ │
│ ├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┤ │
│ │ BREAD AND BUTTER │ BREAKING BAD │ Transform- │
│ │ │ │ ational │
│ │ Core features, │ Existential pivots, │ │
│ │ incremental │ moonshots, │ │
│ │ optimizations │ redefine identity │ │
│ └───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┘ │
│ Incremental Foundational │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Example Allocation
| Role | Brilliant Basics | Bread & Butter | Big Bets | Breaking Bad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mature Product | 20% | 50% | 25% | 5% |
| Growth Stage | 15% | 40% | 35% | 10% |
| Pivot Mode | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% |
Common Mistakes
- Calling foundational work "tech debt" (demotivating)
- Getting stuck in Bread & Butter without investing in Big Bets
- No explicit allocation conversation with stakeholders
Source: Anuj Rathi (Jupiter Money, Swiggy, Flipkart) via Lenny's Podcast