Strategic Plan or Seat‑of‑Pants? Take the Litmus

Spoiler: flying blind costs more fabric. However, not every plan requires a 97-slide deck.

The truth is, many business owners either overcomplicate strategy until it’s unusable, or skip it altogether and hope intuition pulls through. But strategy doesn’t have to be stiff, corporate, or packed with buzzwords. A solid plan is simply a smart way to align your actions with your goals—and make sure your team isn’t paddling in five different directions.

If your current approach feels more like guesswork than guidance, it might be time to trade in the parachute for a roadmap. Strategic clarity doesn’t require a binder—it just needs a few focused, well-framed decisions.

Why Plans Pay Rent

• Alignment: Folks row in sync, fewer blisters.
  

• Investor Confidence: Banks love documented foresight.
  

• Decision Filter: Shiny objects face a pre‑built “no.”
  

Minimum‑Viable Plan (MVP²)

Section	Questions	Page Max
Vision	Where are we going & why will anyone care?	½
Market Snapshot	Who buys, why now?	1
Big levers (OKRs)	What must go right?	1
Cash Map	Resources vs. runway?	1
Culture Guardrails	Which behaviors get high‑fives?	½

 Iteration Rhythm

1. Quarterly Tune‑Up. Markets change faster than hairstyle trends.
   

2. Assumption Autopsy. Identify one failed guess, update the model.
   

3. Stop‑Doing List. Each quarter, kill one tactic—focus on subtraction.
   

AuthenticUS offers planning sprints or full‑service build‑outs, but either way, we keep you out of the seat‑of‑pants wardrobe malfunction zone.

“Prefer plans over parachutes? Let’s blueprint your path—message us at AuthenticUS.us.”