Insights-Strategy-Big Rocks

Three-part narrative structure for strategic planning that forces clarity

Ebi Atawodi
Crafting a compelling product vision | Ebi Atawodi (YouTube, Netflix, Uber)

Insights-Strategy-Big Rocks

"The tactical thing that I use to bring clarity is the narrative: insights, strategy, big rocks. It brings clarity to why we're doing what we're doing, how we're going to do it, and what we're going to do." - Ebi Atawodi

What It Is

A narrative structure for communicating and aligning on strategy. Rather than lengthy slide decks, this framework uses three clear sections that can fit in a two-page document. The structure forces prioritization and creates a shared narrative that can be updated over time.

This is not the vision (what the world looks like if we succeed). This is the narrative of why you exist and why someone should invest in your work.

How It Works

1. Insights (The "Why")

What are the key problems, learnings, or understanding that drive your work?

  • Top problems from your "10 Things You Should Know"
  • Key metrics and trends
  • User research findings
  • Competitive landscape observations
  • Technical constraints or opportunities

Format: Lead with 3-4 numbers and 3-4 insights. Be visceral and crisp.

2. Strategy (The "How")

Given the insights, which problems will you focus on and in what order?

  • Prioritized list of problems to solve
  • The approach you'll take
  • What you're explicitly NOT doing
  • Why this order vs. another

Key question: "Of all the problems we've seen, which are the ones we want to focus on and in which order?"

3. Big Rocks (The "What")

The 3-5 major initiatives that will execute the strategy.

  • Not a laundry list of 20 things
  • Only items that can be remembered
  • Must be sequenced (like making a cocktail: ice first, then liquid)
  • Everything else is "sand around the big rocks"

Filter: If you have more than 3 engineers on a problem, it may need to be a big rock. If fewer than 3, consider consolidating.

How to Apply It

The Two-Page Document

  1. Page 1: Insights and Strategy

    • Open with key numbers/insights
    • State the problems you're solving
    • Explain your approach and prioritization

  2. Page 2: Big Rocks and Roadmap

    • List the 3-5 major initiatives
    • Show sequencing and dependencies
    • Link to detailed roadmap if needed

The Three-Day Workshop

Day 1: Insights Day

  • Focus on understand work
  • Review "10 Things You Should Know" from all stakeholders
  • Do product teardowns and competitor analysis
  • End with consolidated list of insights

Day 2: Strategy Day

  • Which problems to focus on?
  • In what order?
  • What are we NOT doing?
  • Debate and align on approach

Day 3: Big Rocks Day

  • What are the major initiatives?
  • What resources do we need?
  • What's the sequence?
  • Create the two-page document

Ongoing Use

  • Keep the document evergreen (update quarterly)
  • Use a memorable short link (e.g., "go/my-narrative")
  • When someone wants to "understand what you do," send the doc first
  • Refresh before each planning cycle

When to Use It

  • Annual and quarterly planning
  • When joining a new team (create your narrative in first 90 days)
  • When presenting to leadership
  • When onboarding new team members
  • When stakeholders ask what you're working on

Example: Cocktail Analogy

"If I asked you to make me a cocktail, you would put ice in first. Then you would pour the drink. You would not put the drink and then put the ice or it will splash and it's messy. That's how an endless roadmap looks to me."

Big rocks must be sequenced. Some things must happen before others. The framework forces you to think about dependencies and order.

The Startup Pitch Test

Think of your narrative as if you were a startup pitching investors:

  • Insights: What's the big problem in the world?
  • Strategy: Why are you the one to solve it and how?
  • Big Rocks: What will you build with the investment?

If you couldn't pitch it, the narrative isn't clear enough.

Source

  • Guest: Ebi Atawodi
  • Episode: "Crafting a compelling product vision | Ebi Atawodi (YouTube, Netflix, Uber)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:59:20) - Insights, strategy, big rocks structure
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

  • Clarity and Conviction - This framework is a tool for bringing clarity
  • Top 10 Things You Should Know - Feeds into the insights section
  • Radical Focus / OKRs - Complementary goal-setting approach
  • Vision-Mission Framework - Vision is separate from this narrative
Back to Execution