Vision & Strategy Product Launch Workbook Ipi

Vision & Strategy Workbook

Discovery, Reflection and Focus Self-Directed Module - Product Launch

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All Rights Reserved. March 2012.

Table of Contents How to Use this Workbook ...................................................................................................................... 3

Vision & Strategy ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Business Solution Overview ................................................................................................................. 4

Budget & Funding ................................................................................................................................ 9

Partnerships ...................................................................................................................................... 10

People Resources .............................................................................................................................. 11

Customer and Market Information .................................................................................................... 12

Sum It Up! ............................................................................................................................................. 14

People, Purpose, and Process ............................................................................................................ 14

SWOT ................................................................................................................................................ 15

Goal POST .......................................................................................................................................... 16

GAP Analysis and Recommended Action ................................................................................................ 17



How to Use this Workbook This workbook is designed to help clarify the vision for your product or solution path to market, and to develop the strategy to get you there, in a thoughtful, methodical way. Formalizing your plans and ideas on paper often help gain focus on what is important. It also provides a road map to refer to when things get hectic. Which they will.

The workbook can be completed independent of Inflection Point Inc. (IPI) as a self-directed module, in which you complete the majority of the questions highlighting areas that may be unknown or under developed at this point, or that you may need coaching or guidance around. Once this is complete we have an interactive session to clarify, focus and develop your go to market plan and action items. Alternatively, IPI can be engaged to facilitate and lead you and/or the executive team through the exercises and diving deeper into key areas.

Let’s get started!



Vision & Strategy During this phase we create a baseline understanding of the current situation with factual information. This is an essential step to gain insight into your background, expertise, organization and processes and build the foundation for a scalable, sustainable and successful plan.

Business Solution Overview

1. What was the motivation to create this solution?

2. What are the needs of your end user? How do you know? What do you know about this market segment and projected growth?



3. Has the company launched new products or solutions in the past? What did you learn that will accelerate this process?

4. Do you have anyone on the board of directors and executive team who “owns” the success of this project (If your answer is “we all do” my reply is “then no one does”)? Do these individuals have experience with achieving the goals your organization has set for this solution (i.e. building a business to 1 billion, prepping for IPO)? Does at least one member have a solid reputation within the market segment you are looking to grow?



5. Consider an advisory board as a subset for this solution launch. Do you have diversity on your

board and do they reflect your target customer? Consider Alliances and Customers.

6. What are your goals for the product (think SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely)? Consider what you are looking to do: spin the product off into a stand-alone company? Is this product a testing ground for future follow on solutions?



7. Set some more tactical goals around number of new customers, average deal size, target revenue and margin, growth percentage. Be as specific as possible. Topics to consider include personal, business, strategic and tactical.

8. What is your timeline and project plan for launching the project?



9. What Geographies, Territories, or verticals do you see this product gaining immediate traction in?

10. How easily can the solution be duplicated into other territories or verticals? Which areas will be the easiest?



Budget & Funding 11. How much have you budgeted to launch his solution?

12. How much and in what form (resources, equipment, time, money)? Who are they, what and how

much can they provide?

Resources Required Source Estimated Amount

13. Do you require more funding who else can you go to for these needs?

Resources Required Source Estimated Amount



Partnerships 14. Are there existing relationships with Alliances & Partners that you can leverage to accelerate

growth?

15. Who are your top 3 partners related to this project and why?

16. How would you describe these relationships?

17. What are the most important attributes you look for in partnerships, specific to this project? � Lead generation � Access to verticals � Complimentary solution � Brand recognition � Resources to share � Ease of doing business

Strategic Emerging Tactical Neutral Partner #1 Partner #2 Partner #3



People Resources

18. Do you have existing resources you can deploy against launching this product? Sales, marketing,

technical, operations, finance? Who and how many? How will reallocating these resources impact the rest of the business?

19. What is your plan to train your internal staff (sales, sales support, pre-sales) on the product messaging? Is this solution a stand-alone product or is it integrated into other solution areas that already exist in your business? Do you have an elevator pitch designed?



Customer and Market Information

20. What does you customer profile look like today? Who is your target customer (territory, vertical, size (seats, data usage etc.)? Are there similarities that you can leverage?

21. What are you doing today to reach the target market for this solution? Is it successful? How do you know (use third party research if possible)? What is your largest obstacle to reach your target market?



22. Are there industry awards for the product/ solution that you are launching? Are there any specific awards you would like to win? What do you need to do to achieve this?

23. Do you have any known competitors? Are there activities they are doing that you like/ don’t like?

24. Summarize your market description from the information above- what market are you going after?



Sum It Up!

People, Purpose, and Process

This next section should be completed with as many of your stakeholders as possible, or at least representation from product development, sales and technical support (these all may be you right now!)

Without the right people, the right process or understanding of what the purpose is, success is virtually impossible to achieve.



SWOT People: Key stakeholders. Recommend representation from sales, technical, marketing and operations

Purpose: creates a sense of responsibility, allows for discovery of new ideas and perspectives; learning experience; creates a collaborative end product; gains buy-in from stakeholders whose support and involvement is a critical success factor.

Process: interactive session to complete SWOT exercise specific to YOUR ORGANIZATION expanding into a specific market.

Internal Factors: Strengths and Weaknesses

External Factors: Opportunities and Threats

Internal Analysis Strengths: What are the unique capabilities that give your company a competitive advantage in this market?

Weaknesses: What resources and capabilities does your company lack that impact ability to compete in this market?

External Analysis Opportunities: External or market factors that give your company an opportunity for profit and growth in this market?

Threats: External or Market Factors that prevent or threaten your company opportunity or strengths in this market?



Goal POSTi People: Key stakeholders. Recommend representation from sales, technical, marketing and operations

Purpose: identify critical success factors; provide a roadmap to follow and methodology to track success

Process

Interactive brainstorming session to identify and define:

GOAL: Where you are going in the long run: i.e. Your Organization will be the go to experts on data management solutions for the enterprise voice and video data market. Profile

Starting Point- based on Strengths and Weaknesses, competitive profile. Factual

Objective

What you want to achieve 3 to 5 that are specific and measurable.

Strategy

How are you going to get there? Clear and simple terms the approach to obtaining goals

Tactics

What needs to be done, by Who and When



GAP Analysis and Recommended Action

This is the area where we reconvene (If you have travelled this far on your own).

We will spend approximately 2 to 3 hours in an interactive session reviewing the work you have done, and clarifying any information as well as provide guidance for any areas that were left open for more discussion.

Using the information gathered from your work a gap analysis will be created and a strategy will be recommended to reach your organizations desired goal.

Deliverable you can expect to receive will include a summary of your current state and recommended action items for execution in order to reach your goal. This analysis and recommendation includes an executive level marketing and alliance strategy.

i Michael Porter, Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, Harvard University Business School

Vision & Strategy Product Launch Workbook Ipi

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