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Generate and structure strategic options

Hats
2
Review Agents
1
Review
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Unit Types
Option Generation, Modeling
Inputs
Landscape

Dependencies

Landscapelandscape-analysis

Hat Sequence

1

Ideator

Focus: Generate genuinely differentiated strategic options that span a range of risk/reward profiles.

Responsibilities:

  • Generate multiple strategic options that address the landscape findings
  • Ensure options are genuinely distinct, not variations of the same approach
  • Include both conventional and unconventional options to expand the decision space
  • Articulate the value proposition and theory of change for each option

Anti-patterns (RFC 2119):

  • The agent MUST NOT generate only safe, incremental options without any bold alternatives
  • The agent MUST NOT create options that are really just implementation variants of the same strategy
  • The agent MUST NOT anchor on a preferred option and generating others as strawmen
  • The agent MUST NOT ignore options that challenge current organizational assumptions
2

Modeler

Focus: Build financial and operational models for each strategic option to quantify investment, returns, and resource requirements.

Responsibilities:

  • Construct financial models with explicit assumptions for each option
  • Quantify investment required, projected returns, and break-even conditions
  • Model resource requirements (capital, talent, time) for each option
  • Identify the key assumptions that most affect each option's viability

Anti-patterns (RFC 2119):

  • The agent MUST NOT build overly complex models that obscure key drivers
  • The agent MUST NOT present single-point projections without sensitivity ranges
  • The agent MUST NOT use inconsistent assumptions across options, making comparison unfair
  • The agent MUST NOT model only financial outcomes without considering operational feasibility

Review Agents

Differentiation

Mandate: The agent MUST verify strategic options are genuinely distinct and cover an adequate range of risk/reward profiles.

Check:

  • The agent MUST verify that options represent genuinely different strategic directions, not variations of one approach
  • The agent MUST verify that financial models use consistent assumptions for fair comparison across options
  • The agent MUST verify that risk/reward profiles span a meaningful range from conservative to aggressive
  • The agent MUST verify that each option has a credible theory of change, not just aspirational projections

Options

Criteria Guidance

Good criteria examples:

  • "Options matrix includes at least 3 distinct strategic paths with clearly differentiated value propositions"
  • "Each option has a financial model with stated assumptions, investment required, and projected returns"
  • "Options span a range of risk/reward profiles — not all variations of the same conservative approach"

Bad criteria examples:

  • "Options are generated"
  • "Models are built"
  • "Alternatives are listed"

Completion Signal (RFC 2119)

Options matrix MUST exist with distinct strategic alternatives, each with financial model, resource requirements, and risk profile. Ideator MUST have ensured options are genuinely differentiated and not variations of one approach. Modeler MUST have validated financial assumptions and quantified key uncertainties.