Most founders carry their strategy in their head. That works until the business grows, the week gets busy or someone else needs to make a decision without you. A one-page strategy changes that. It isn’t a business plan; it’s a short, honest answer to the questions you keep circling.
Why one page is enough
Long documents are easy to write and hard to use. A single page forces trade-offs. If a priority doesn’t fit on the page, it probably isn’t a priority this quarter. The constraint is the point.
The five questions
Where are we now? Three sentences, no spin.
Where are we going this year? One outcome you’d be proud of.
What are our three priorities this quarter?
What will we stop or pause to make room?
How will we know it’s working? Two or three simple measures.
Write the first draft in under an hour. It will be imperfect, and that’s fine — the value is in the choosing.
Keep it alive
Pin the page somewhere you’ll see it. Read it every Friday before planning the week ahead, and rewrite it at the start of each quarter. Over time, it becomes the simplest management tool you have.
