The Strategy Framework Every Team Should Start With

You don’t need a 50-slide strategy deck. You need one clear sentence.

Because most strategy conversations drift into tactics fast. "We’ll launch a campaign." "We’ll try a new channel." "We’ll do a webinar."

Those are executional ideas. Not strategy.

Enter: The Will. By. Framework

We will [what you intend to accomplish] By [how you plan to make it happen]

It’s deceptively simple. But it forces focus. It clears the air. And it helps teams stop confusing motion for momentum.

Example: Coca-Cola

Coke didn’t start by launching Diet Coke or Tab. Those were tactics.

They started with a strategy:

We will win over health-conscious soda drinkers By offering healthier alternatives to our core product lineup.

See the difference? It orients the team. It opens the door to multiple tactics, all of which serve the same goal.

More Examples

Slack

We will replace email for internal team communication By making workplace messaging more organized, searchable, and fun.

Warby Parker

We will make prescription glasses accessible to everyone By cutting out middlemen and selling directly online at a fraction of traditional retail prices.

Duolingo

We will make language learning more fun By turning lessons into a game they’ll want to play over and over.

How to Workshop It

Pick one clear organizational goal or challenge. Then gather your team and ask everyone to write a “Will. By.” statement individually. Share them. Refine them. Repeat.

This works especially well when:

• You're entering a new phase of growth

• A new competitor shows up

• Consumer behavior shifts

• The team is bogged down in execution and needs to re-align

Once you’ve got a clear “Will. By.” strategy, you can pressure-test every tactic against it.

“Will this move help us achieve the Will?” “Does this align with the By?”

If not, it’s noise.

One Sentence. Whole Strategy.

This framework helps you do the hard thing: Get specific. It creates alignment. Focus. Ownership. And most importantly, it’s a tool you can return to—not just write once and forget.

Let me know if you found this helpful or need more information. Always happy to help.