Introduction

"Unlock $1 Billion in Value and Achieve Rule of 40 by 2028: Strategic Alignment for Unprecedented Growth"

With this program, we’re not just investing in a strategy exercise—we're catalyzing a transformation that can drive Barracuda to new heights of performance and profitability.

Deliverables come in many different forms

Our overall approach is designed to achieve ambitious goals.

Alignment for Acceleration: Our process will align the leadership team around a shared vision and strategy, eliminating silos and accelerating decision-making. Such alignment will significantly reduce time-to-opportunity for new initiatives, unlocking growth.
Clarity From Complexity: We will distil the complexity of the broader context into clear, actionable insights. This clarity enables more precise targeting of high-value opportunities, potentially increasing everything from win rates and average deal sizes to better communication, operating routines and overall mindsets.
Innovation Catalyst: Our approach stimulates creative thinking and cross-functional collaboration, driving more involvement, energy and eventual innovation. This can lead to breakthrough thinking, generate real ownership for the program and communicate our products and services (solutions) that capture new market share and drive the substantial revenue growth we want.
Execution Excellence: We don't just help you strategize – we provide tools and techniques to translate strategy/plans into action. This focus on execution can dramatically improve operational efficiency, helping achieve the profitability required for Rule of 40.
Adaptability Advantage: In any rapidly changing business environment, this approach ensures that our critical thinking and strategy remain flexible and responsive. This adaptability will help us capitalize on emerging opportunities faster than competitors, driving growth and profitability.

We intend to create the conditions necessary for exponential growth. This holistic approach is designed to not only reach the $1 billion ARR target but also achieve the balance of growth and profitability embodied in the Rule of 40.

What Gets Delivered

What follows is a comprehensive overview of an assignment's potential deliverables.

They encompass both tangible and intangible outcomes. It explains the flexibility and customization inherent in our approach, allowing for tailored solutions that precisely address each client's unique needs and challenges.

Deliverables emerge at various stages throughout an assignment, with our primary focus on the strategic and planning aspects. This involves the discovery, design, and development phases of our Structured Visual Thinking™ approach, where we collaboratively explore the why, what, how, and when of the challenge• at hand.

It's important to note that many of the deliverables described herein are topics of discussion that evolve during the assignment. They should be viewed as a menu of options, with their inclusion determined by their potential value and impact on the specific engagement. Our goal is to provide a rich toolkit from which we can draw the most effective solutions for each unique client situation.

This flexible approach ensures that every assignment is customized to maximize relevance and effectiveness, driving meaningful outcomes and lasting organizational change.

*A challenge is both an opportunity and/or a problem to be overcome.We express this in what we call the Exam Question.

Strategic Frameworks

Primary Strategic Framework

Visual representation of the collective thinking and conclusions
An underpinning logic that can be applied by teams to further develop and sustain strategic thinking
Detailed narrative explaining the logic and content
Serves as the "North Star" for alignment and focus
The strategy and direction on a page
The ‘conscience’ and guide rails for the organization to help them stay aligned and focused on the right things

Potential Supplementary Frameworks

Market landscape framework
Product strategy framework
Decision-making frameworks and tools
Other context-specific frameworks as needed

Ongoing Solutions (As needed/agreed)

Follow-up session plans
Periodic review and recalibration processes
Customized assessments to test progress against the strategic intentions
The collaborative online platform - for maintaining the frameworks in line with the logic

Intangible Deliverables

Enhanced team alignment and ownership of strategy/outcomes
A shared appreciation of the implications of decisions being made
Improved decision-making capabilities
Increased clarity on complex challenges and opportunities
Strengthened cross-functional collaboration
Greater certainty of priorities and dependencies

Important Definitions

Framework Science™

We’ve developed a proprietary approach (Framework Science™) that forms the foundation of our strategic problem-solving methodology. It involves the systematic application of structured, visual frameworks to complex organizational challenges, combining logical rigor with creative thinking.

Key aspects include:

Systemic Thinking: It views organizations and their challenges as interconnected systems rather than isolated components.
Visual Logic: Utilizes visual representations to make complex concepts more accessible and actionable.
Modular Design: Employs a series of interconnected modules that can be configured to address specific strategic questions.
Collaborative Approach: Encourages collective input and alignment through visual, interactive processes.
Adaptive Methodology: Flexibly adjusts to different organizational contexts and evolving strategic landscapes.
Integration of Multiple Perspectives: Synthesizes diverse viewpoints into a coherent strategic narrative.
Action-Oriented: Translates high-level strategy into concrete, implementable initiatives.
Continuous Refinement: Allows for ongoing updates and adjustments as new information emerges.

Framework Science™ serves as the theoretical and practical underpinning for our Structured Visual Thinking™ approach, providing a robust, repeatable process for tackling complex business challenges. It combines the analytical power of traditional strategic frameworks with the engaging, collaborative nature of visual thinking, resulting in strategies that are both comprehensive and actionable.

By applying Framework Science™, organizations can navigate complexity, align teams, and drive strategic outcomes more effectively, creating a shared understanding and commitment to strategic direction across all levels of the business.

The Exam Question:

The Exam Question is a critical component of Framework Science™ and the Structured Visual Thinking™ methodology. It is the foundational, guiding query that focuses and drives the entire strategic process.

Key aspects of the Exam Question include:

Strategic Focus: Encapsulates the core strategic challenge or opportunity facing the organization.
Clarity and Precision: It is formulated to be clear, specific, and unambiguous, avoiding vague or overly broad statements.
Alignment Tool: Ensures all participants and stakeholders are addressing the same fundamental issue.
Scope Definition: Helps define the boundaries and scope of the strategic inquiry.
Motivation Revealer: Often includes or implies the underlying motivation for tackling the challenge.
Outcome Oriented: Typically framed to drive towards actionable outcomes or solutions.
Contextual Relevance: Tailored to the specific circumstances and needs of the organization.
Provocative Nature: Designed to stimulate critical thinking and challenge existing assumptions.
Holistic Perspective: Encourages consideration of the challenge from multiple angles and stakeholder viewpoints.
Framework Driver: Informs the configuration and content of the strategic framework used to address it.
Adaptability: The question can be refined or adjusted as new insights emerge during the strategic process. This may ripple through to the framework configuration.
Engagement Catalyst: Serves as a rallying point for team engagement and collaboration.
Measurability Aid: Helps define what success looks like when addressing the challenge.
Communication Tool: Acts as a concise way to communicate the core strategic focus to wider audiences.

The Exam Question is typically developed through careful consultation with key stakeholders and forms the cornerstone of the entire engagement. It's not just a starting point but a constant reference throughout the strategic process, ensuring everyone’s efforts remain focused on addressing the organization's most critical issues/objectives and utilising all available information in the most valuable way.

Conversational Framework:

The Conversation Framework is a structured, visual tool designed to guide and capture critical organizational discussions. It serves as a roadmap for exploring complex topics, ensuring all key aspects are addressed systematically.

Key features include:

Topic Organization: Arrange discussion points into logical, interconnected modules.
Connected: Ensures that we understand the relationships and interdependencies across the business and that we consider the implications of actions as completely as possible.
Guided Exploration: Provides prompts and questions to stimulate thorough examination of issues.
Visual Representation: Uses visual elements to make abstract concepts more tangible and accessible.
Collaborative Tool: Facilitates group participation and alignment during discussions.
Insight Capture: Offers a structured way to document ideas, decisions, and action items.
Holistic Perspective: Encourages consideration and appreciation of multiple viewpoints and implications.
Adaptability: Tailored to specific organizational contexts and challenges.
Clarity Enhancement: Helps distil complex ideas into more precise, actionable insights and direction.

Strategic Framework:

A Strategic Framework is a comprehensive, visually rich tool encapsulating an organization's strategic thinking and direction. It is based on carefully designing the conversations needed to resolve the question and thoughtful and objective facilitation. It is a development tool and a reference point for ongoing strategic alignment.

It always creates new value propositions and narratives that accompany any change activity.

Key aspects include:

Vision Alignment: Directly connects to and supports the organization's overarching vision and mission.
Exam Question Focus: Structured to address a specific, critical strategic challenge or opportunity.
Modular Design: Composed of interconnected modules covering various strategic elements (e.g., market dynamics, capabilities, objectives).
Logic Model: Embeds a clear rationale and decision-making logic within its structure.
Visual Clarity: Uses visual elements to make complex strategic concepts more accessible and engaging.
Collaborative Development: Designed to be populated and refined through collective input and discussion.
Actionable Outputs: Translates high-level strategy into concrete initiatives and metrics.
Adaptability: Allows for updates and refinements as market conditions or organizational priorities evolve.
Communication Tool: Serves as a powerful artefact for sharing and aligning around strategy across the organization.
Integration Hub: Think of this as a central point connecting various strategic elements, ensuring coherence and alignment.

The Blueprints

A high-level operationally focused framework that visualizes an organization as an interconnected system rather than a set of isolated functional components. It serves as the organization's strategic design, focusing on how various elements come together to create value in alignment with the company's vision, values, and purpose.

The Features Of The Blueprint

Systemic View: It presents the organization as a cohesive system, transcending traditional siloed structures.
Value Creation Focus: The primary aim is to illustrate how all parts of the organization contribute to delivering value.
Alignment Tool: It shows how different aspects of the business (culture, products/services, systems, capabilities) align to support organizational success by creating value.
Complete Lens: While strategic in nature, it provides a practical view from Purpose and Proposition through to how the organization functions and what it takes to deliver the best performance.
Modular: Each blueprint component can become its own ‘deep dive’ into key areas as needed.
Interconnectedness: It highlights the relationships and dependencies between different facets of the organization.
Change Guide: It is a reference point for implementing and managing organizational changes.
Communication Tool: It provides a visual representation that can be used to explain the organization's structure and function to various stakeholders.

The Blueprint is a critical tool in the Framework Science™ approach. It helps organizations move beyond traditional organizational charts to understand and optimize their operations in a more holistic, value-driven manner.

By Products Of The Visual Frameworks

Visual library of assets
Visual assets for further internal/Investor communications
Sections of the visual frameworks that become symbols or further tools for communications

Communication Assets That Can Emerge As A Result

Large-scale visual murals, screens and wall walks
Digital infographics for online platforms
Interactive visual tools for telling the stories to the workforce or in sales and marketing
Strategic landscapes