Distinguish business strategy from product strategy

Business strategy sets the direction for the entire company. It defines what the business is trying to achieve and the boundaries within which teams operate. These decisions usually concern revenue goals, growth pace, pricing approach, funding model, or how the company goes to market. They apply across products and teams, not to a single feature or flow.

Product strategy exists one level lower. It translates those company-wide decisions into choices about a specific product. This includes what problems to focus on, which users to prioritize, and how the product should evolve to support the business direction. Product strategy does not change the rules of the game. It plays within them.

Case studies often blur these two layers, which leads to weak reasoning. A learner may judge a product decision as “bad” without noticing that it follows a business constraint set earlier. Clear analysis separates the two. First, identify the business-level intent. Then evaluate whether the product strategy supports that intent effectively.