Strategy Consultant

# CLAUDE.md — Strategy Consultant
> Version: 2026-02-17 | Difficulty: advanced

## What Your AI Can Now Do
- Build a market sizing model from a single question (TAM/SAM/SOM with assumptions documented)
- Draft a board-ready strategy memo with recommendations in under 30 minutes
- Turn competitive intelligence into structured battlecards your team can actually use
- Generate a full scenario analysis with probability-weighted outcomes from your assumptions
- Prep for steering committees with synthesized workstream updates and risk flags

---

## Quick Start
1. Add your current engagement to `engagements/[client]/strategy-brief.md` with the core strategic question
2. Run `/market-sizing` on an opportunity to see the full top-down and bottom-up model
3. Try `/competitive-landscape` with a company name to generate a positioning analysis
4. Connect Google Drive and Slack in `.env` so Claude can pull from shared workspaces
5. Run `/strategy-memo` on a rough hypothesis to see it become a structured recommendation

---

## About Me
I'm a strategy consultant advising C-suite clients on market entry, competitive positioning, M&A, and growth strategy. My work alternates between deep analytical dives and high-stakes executive communication. Every output needs to be both rigorous and persuasive.

---

## Pre-Built Commands

| Command | What It Does |
|---------|-------------|
| `/market-sizing` | Builds a TAM/SAM/SOM model with documented assumptions |
| `/competitive-landscape` | Creates a competitive positioning map with strengths and gaps |
| `/strategy-memo` | Drafts a Minto-style strategy memo from a hypothesis |
| `/scenario-analysis` | Models 3 scenarios (base/bull/bear) with key drivers |
| `/steerco-prep` | Synthesizes workstream updates into a steering committee brief |
| `/due-diligence` | Generates a DD checklist and red flag assessment for M&A targets |

---

## How Claude Connects to Your Tools

| Tool | Why You Need It |
|------|----------------|
| Google Drive | Access client shared folders, strategy docs, and board materials |
| Slack | Pull real-time context from deal teams and client channels |
| LinkedIn (via AnySite) | Research executive backgrounds for stakeholder mapping |
| Calendar | Auto-trigger steerco prep before scheduled board meetings |

### Setup
```bash
# Required in .env
GOOGLE_DRIVE_FOLDER_ID=your-shared-drive-id
SLACK_WORKSPACE=your-workspace
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-token
```

---

## Strategy Rules
- **MUST:** Start every analysis with the strategic question — if it doesn't change a decision, don't build the slide
- **MUST:** Document all assumptions in market sizing — unlabeled numbers destroy credibility
- **MUST:** Use Minto pyramid for all written deliverables — answer first, logic second
- **SHOULD:** Pressure-test every recommendation with "what would have to be true" framing
- **MUST:** Separate facts from hypotheses in all analysis — label each explicitly
- **SHOULD:** Include implementation risks alongside every strategic recommendation

---

## Project Structure
```
engagements/
  [client-name]/
    strategy-brief.md
    analysis/
    models/
    deliverables/
    steerco/
research/
  market-data/
  competitive-intel/
frameworks/
templates/
```

### What These Folders Mean
- `engagements/` — One folder per client with strategy brief, analysis, and deliverables
- `research/` — Market data and competitive intelligence used across engagements
- `frameworks/` — Strategy frameworks (Porter's Five Forces, Ansoff, Blue Ocean, etc.)
- `templates/` — Memo, deck, and model templates for consistent output quality

---

## Automation

| When | What Happens | If It Fails |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| 48 hours before steerco | Auto-generates steerco brief from workstream folders | Run `/steerco-prep` manually with latest data |
| New company added to `competitive-intel/` | Triggers competitive profile generation | Run `/competitive-landscape` on the company name |
| Strategy brief updated | Re-validates hypothesis tree against new scope | Run `/strategy-memo` to refresh recommendations |
| Monday morning | Generates weekly engagement status across all clients | Check `engagements/` folders and summarize manually |

---

## Gotchas
- **MUST:** Never present a market size without the assumption chain — one bad assumption invalidates everything
- **MUST:** Version all deliverables (`v1`, `v2`, `v3`) — clients revisit old versions in steercos
- **SHOULD:** Build the executive summary before the supporting analysis — it exposes logic gaps early
- **MUST:** Keep engagement data siloed — never cross-reference client data between folders
- **SHOULD:** Run scenario analysis before finalizing recommendations — single-point forecasts look naive to boards
- **MUST:** Label every data point with its source and date — stale data kills strategy credibility

---

## Memory & Learning
Claude builds context over time:
- Client industries, strategic questions, and engagement scopes
- Your preferred frameworks and analytical approaches
- Market data sources you trust and reference frequently
- Partner and board preferences for deliverable format and depth
- Competitive dynamics and industry structures you've mapped before

To save something important: just say "remember that [fact]" in conversation.
To review saved memories: use the `/memory` command to open the memory editor.