Synthesizing Strategy

Strategy Synthesis

Knowledge base for synthesizing research findings into polished, actionable strategy documents that guide brand decisions and content creation.

Core Philosophy

Research = Unopinionated Analysis (What exists, what was said, what was found) Strategy = Opinionated Synthesis (What it means, what to do, how to position)

This skill embodies the strategist's role: taking raw insights and transforming them into clear, prescriptive guidance.

Synthesis vs Research

Strategy Domains

Each domain addresses a distinct strategic question:

1. brand-fundamentals - Who are we? Why do we exist?
2. positioning - Where do we fit? What makes us different?
3. messaging - What do we say? What are our key messages?
4. voice - How do we sound? What's our personality?
5. audience - Who are we talking to?

Synthesis Workflows

Each workflow follows a plan-implement pattern using the orchestration skill:

Planning Phase

• Check research prerequisites (RESEARCH.md files exist and are current)
• Verify research is newer than existing strategy (via frontmatter dates)
• Create execution plan

Implementation Phase

• Load research findings by path (progressive disclosure)
• Synthesize into strategic recommendations
• Write/update STRATEGY.md with frontmatter
• Update CHANGELOG.md
• Create cross-references to research (audit trail)

Standard Strategy File Structure

/strategy/{domain}/
├── STRATEGY.md           # Current strategy (git versioned)
└── CHANGELOG.md          # Evolution tracking

STRATEGY.md Frontmatter

---
domain: {domain-name}
last_updated: YYYY-MM-DD
research_sources:
  - /research/{domain}/RESEARCH.md
  - /research/{other-domain}/RESEARCH.md
---

Workflows Available

• brand-fundamentals
• positioning
• messaging
• voice
• audience

Invocation

Synthesis workflows are triggered via slash commands:

/strategy:brand-fundamentals
/strategy:positioning
/strategy:messaging
/strategy:voice
/strategy:audience

Update Logic

Strategy synthesis only runs when:

1. Required research files exist
2. Research last_updated (frontmatter) is newer than strategy last_updated
3. User explicitly requests update

This ensures strategy stays current with research while avoiding unnecessary re-synthesis.

Progressive Disclosure

Strategy files reference research by path, not content:

Our customers struggle with [complex tools that overwhelm them](/research/customer-insights/RESEARCH.md).

This enables:

• Human navigation (clickable links)
• AI progressive disclosure (load when needed)
• Audit trails (claim → evidence)