Recognizing the cost of a bad product strategy

A weak strategy can drain resources and damage a product’s chances of survival. When objectives are vague or generic, different teams interpret them differently, leading to scattered efforts and wasted time. Strategies built without real customer insight often target “everyone,” which usually means no one. This results in low adoption and frustration when features do not solve meaningful problems.

Focusing too heavily on features rather than value is another trap. Products overloaded with functions may look impressive but fail to address core needs. Over time, this creates technical debt and distracts the team from improvements that could actually drive revenue or loyalty. A bad strategy also isolates decision-making. When developed in silos, it prevents alignment across the organization, leaving marketing, sales, and development pulling in different directions.

The cost of a poor strategy is not only financial. It erodes team confidence and trust in leadership, making course correction harder. Recognizing these risks early encourages teams to revisit assumptions, clarify goals, and rebuild a strategy that aligns vision, customer needs, and measurable outcomes.