Module 2.3: Product Strategy

Reference Guide

• Time to Complete: 45-60 minutes
• Prerequisites: Modules 2.1 (Write a PRD) and 2.2 (Analyze Data)

Start this module in Cursor: Run /start-2-3 to begin the interactive lesson.

Overview

Use Cursor to accelerate strategy development from weeks to hours. Research competitors, challenge strategic choices with devil’s advocate prompts, synthesize frameworks, and create executive slide decks.

Key takeaway: Cursor handles the mechanics (research, synthesis, formatting) while you make all strategic decisions.

Strategy Development Workflow

The five-phase approach to building rigorous product strategy with Cursor:

1. Learn Framework

Load a strategic framework into Cursor’s context using @ mentions:

• @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md - Diagnosis → Guiding Policy → Coherent Actions
• @gibson-biddle-dhm.md - Delight, Hard to Copy, Margin-enhancing (optional)
• @swot-analysis.md - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (optional)

Example prompt: “Explain the three components of @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md”

2. Gather Intelligence

Use Cursor’s web search to research competitors:

Example prompt: “Search the web for [Competitor A], [Competitor B], and [Competitor C]‘s AI features, pricing strategies, and target markets. Then create a competitive landscape comparison table.”

Cursor researches multiple competitors simultaneously and synthesizes findings into structured comparisons.

3. Make Strategic Choices

Challenge each strategic decision with devil’s advocate prompts:

Example prompt: “Help me develop a strategy using @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md and challenge my choices using @devils-advocate-strategy.md”

After you make a choice, Cursor argues the opposite position to stress-test your thinking. You can stick with your choice or reconsider.

4. Synthesize Strategy

Transform choices into a coherent strategy document:

Example prompt: “Using @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md, create [filename].md organizing my strategic choices into Diagnosis, Guiding Policy, and Coherent Actions”

Cursor creates a properly structured strategy document following the framework.

5. Create Presentation

Generate executive-ready slides with consulting-quality action titles:

Example prompt: “Using @presentation-best-practices.md and @[strategy-doc].md, create [slides-filename].md with 12-15 slides using action titles”

Cursor creates slide content (markdown format) you can copy into PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote.

Strategy Synthesis Techniques

Working with Multiple Research Documents

@ Mention Multiple Frameworks

Cursor can apply multiple frameworks simultaneously:

"Using @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md and @swot-analysis.md,
create a strategy that addresses our strengths and the
competitive opportunity"

Reference Competitive Research

After gathering intelligence, reference findings in strategy synthesis:

"Based on the competitive landscape research, what's our
best differentiation opportunity for SMB teams?"

Connect Strategy to PRD

Link strategic documents to feature specifications:

"Using @h1-2026-ai-product-strategy.md, create a PRD for
the Q1 voice features initiative"

Creating Roadmaps and Strategic Documents

Strategy Document Structure

A strong strategy document (following Rumelt’s Kernel):

1. Diagnosis - The critical challenge/opportunity based on data and competitive landscape
2. Guiding Policy - Your overall approach (synthesis of strategic choices)
3. Coherent Actions - Concrete initiatives, roadmap, resource allocation
4. Critical Assumptions - What must be true for this to work

Executive Slide Deck Structure

Consulting-quality presentation flow (12-15 slides):

1. Title
2. Executive Summary (action title)
3. Diagnosis (competitive landscape)
4. Strategic Direction (your choices)
5. Tradeoffs Made
6. H1/H2 Roadmap (by quarter)
7. Success Metrics
8. Critical Assumptions
9. Why We’ll Win
10. Risks & Mitigation
11. The Ask

Action Titles Best Practice

Bad (topic label): “Market Analysis” Good (action title): “SMBs Are Underserved by Current AI Tools”

Action titles convey the insight, not just the topic. Cursor learns this from @presentation-best-practices.md.

Using Cursor for Competitive Analysis

Multi-Competitor Research

Cursor can research multiple competitors in parallel:

"Search the web for [A], [B], and [C]. For each, find:
- Core AI features
- Pricing strategy
- Target market segment
- Positioning statement
Then synthesize into a comparison table."

Deep-Dive on Specific Competitor

"Research [Competitor X]'s AI strategy. What are they
building, who are they targeting, and what's their
differentiation?"

Identify White Space

"Based on the competitive research, what market segments
or use cases are underserved?"

Quick Example: TaskFlow AI Strategy

Scenario: You’re the Gen AI PM at TaskFlow with 2 engineers and $50k budget for H1 2026. The CEO asks for your AI strategy.

Phase 1 - Framework:

"Explain @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md"

Phase 2 - Intelligence:

"Search the web for Notion, Linear, and Asana's AI features,
pricing, and target markets. Create comparison table."

Phase 3 - Choices:

"Help me develop strategy using @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md
and challenge choices using @devils-advocate-strategy.md"

Make 5 strategic decisions (Focus, Competition, Pricing, Scope, Risk). Cursor challenges each one.

Phase 4 - Synthesis:

"Using @rumelt-strategy-kernel.md, create
h1-2026-ai-strategy.md with Diagnosis, Guiding Policy,
and Coherent Actions"

Phase 5 - Presentation:

"Using @presentation-best-practices.md and
@h1-2026-ai-strategy.md, create strategy-slides.md
with action titles"

Result: Complete AI product strategy with competitive research, framework-based structure, and executive slide deck in under 60 minutes.

Troubleshooting

”Cursor’s competitive research is too generic”

Fix: Be specific in your prompts. Instead of “Research competitor X,” ask “What AI features has [Competitor X] launched in 2024-2025? How are they pricing it? Who’s the target customer?"

"Devil’s advocate challenges feel weak”

Fix: Ensure you’ve @ mentioned devils-advocate-strategy.md. Explicitly ask Cursor to “argue the opposite position as strongly as possible and poke holes in my thinking."

"Action titles are still just topic labels”

Fix: @ mention presentation-best-practices.md and ask Cursor to “convert these slide topics into McKinsey/BCG-style action titles that convey the insight, not just the topic."

"Strategy document lacks coherence”

Fix: After creating the strategy, ask Cursor: “Create a Mermaid diagram showing how my strategic choices reinforce each other. Identify any contradictions.” Visual representation often reveals gaps.

Resources

Strategy Frameworks:

• Good Strategy Bad Strategy - Richard Rumelt’s book on the Strategy Kernel
• Escaping the Build Trap - Melissa Perri on product strategy

Official Cursor:

• Cursor - Official website
• Cursor Docs - Documentation

What’s Next?

Module 2.3 complete:

• ✅ Use Cursor for competitive research and synthesis
• ✅ Apply strategic frameworks with @ mentions
• ✅ Challenge decisions with devil’s advocate method
• ✅ Create strategy documents and executive slides

Congratulations! You’ve completed Module 2: Real PM Work

You now have Cursor workflows for:

• Module 2.1: Writing PRDs with multi-perspective review
• Module 2.2: Analyzing data with statistical rigor
• Module 2.3: Developing product strategy with frameworks

What’s next:

• Apply these workflows to your real PM work
• Build custom slash commands for your team’s processes
• Create project rules with your company’s frameworks

Want more? Explore the TaskFlow practice files to see complete examples of each workflow, or start using Cursor with your own product work.

You’ve transformed how you approach core PM tasks. What used to take days or weeks now takes hours with Cursor—without sacrificing quality or rigor.