Who This Helps
Founders and operators running the Product Portfolio Strategy course. You’ve sized your bets and built your map, but now you need buy-in. This is how you turn that one-page portfolio artifact into a green light for execution.
Mini Case
Sam’s team had 14 potential projects. They argued for weeks about priorities. After building a simple portfolio map with rough sizing (like the ‘Bet Sizing’ mission teaches), they presented it. In one 45-minute review, leadership approved the top 3 bets and shelved 5 others. Work started the next Monday.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Frame the Goal. Start your stakeholder meeting by stating the desired outcome: “By the end of this, we will have an approved sequence for the next quarter.”
- Show Your Map. Put your one-page portfolio artifact on screen. Briefly explain your two key guardrails—what you must protect and what you will not let get worse.
- Walk the Logic. For each major bet, state its rough size (e.g., “This is a 3-person-month bet”) and your confidence level. This takes the emotion out of the discussion.
- Highlight the Kill Criteria. Point to one bet and say, “If this metric doesn’t move by 15% in 8 weeks, we stop it.” This shows disciplined thinking.
- Ask for the Sequence. Present your proposed order of work based on capacity. Ask directly: “Does this sequence make sense given our goals?” Get the verbal agreement. It’s not a magic trick, but it works.
Avoid These Traps
- Defending Every Detail. You built the map; you don’t need to justify every pixel. Focus on the logic of the top bets and the guardrails.
- Hiding Uncertainty. Be upfront about your confidence levels. Saying “We’re 60% sure on this one” builds more trust than false certainty.
- Skipping the ‘What We Stop’ Talk. Alignment isn’t just about what you start. Clearly state what gets deprioritized or killed using your pre-defined criteria.
- Letting It Drag. Timebox the discussion to 60 minutes max. If you can’t get alignment then, you need a better map, not more talk.
Your Win by Friday
Your win isn’t a perfect plan. It’s a committed team. Use your portfolio map to get a clear “yes” on what to do first and a shared “no” on what to pause. Then, go build the thing.