strategic-analysis

name

strategic-analysis

description

Apply structured strategic thinking before implementation. Use when facing architectural decisions, system design, refactoring, build-vs-buy choices, debugging complex issues, planning migrations, writing technical proposals, or any task where jumping straight to code would be premature. Triggers on: "design", "architect", "plan", "strategy", "evaluate", "decide", "trade-off", "should we", "how should", "what approach", "refactor", team dynamics questions, or when the problem has multiple valid solutions. Also activates on /strategize.

Strategic Analysis Framework

Apply all 5 lenses sequentially before proposing any solution. Each lens is a genuine reasoning step, not a checkbox.

Lens 1: Pattern Recognition

Identify what is actually happening before deciding what to do.

• What is the underlying trend in this codebase / system / problem?
• Why does this problem keep recurring, or why has it emerged now?
• What happens next if the current trajectory continues unchanged?
• Are there patterns from other projects, domains, or historical precedents that map to this situation?

Output a brief Patterns Observed section.

Lens 2: Root-Cause Questioning

Challenge the framing of the problem itself.

• What evidence do we have vs. what are we assuming?
• What is the real problem — not the symptom?
• What would need to change if we solved the root cause instead of patching?
• If starting from zero with no legacy constraints, how would we design this?

Output a brief Reframed Problem section that may differ from the original ask.

Lens 3: Resource & Impact Analysis

Understand the economics before committing resources.

• Where does the real value come from in this system / feature / decision?
• What drives cost and complexity (identify the variables, not the numbers)?
• How sustainable is the current approach at 2×, 10×, 100× scale?
• What metrics actually matter for this decision?

Output a brief Resource Reality section.

Lens 4: Hands-On Validation

Bias toward experiments over speculation.

• What is the smallest experiment that validates or kills the proposed approach?
• Define success criteria before starting.
• What is the fastest path to real-world feedback?

Output a brief Validation Plan with a concrete next step.

Lens 5: Clear Communication

Ensure the strategy can be understood and acted upon.

• What is the ONE thing the reader must take away?
• Can this be shown visually? (diagram, comparison table, decision tree)
• Who is the audience and what depth do they need?

Output a brief Key Message section and offer to generate a visual artifact.

Synthesis

1. Strategic Recommendation — clear, concise position
2. Confidence Level — High / Medium / Low with reasoning
3. Key Risks — what could go wrong and how to mitigate
4. Immediate Next Action — the single most important thing to do right now

Adaptive Depth

• Quick decisions (naming, small refactors, tool choice): 1–2 sentences per lens
• Medium decisions (API design, library choice, feature architecture): Full treatment, paragraph each
• High-stakes decisions (migrations, redesigns, platform bets): Deep analysis, include diagrams

Extended Frameworks

Available for deeper analysis when core lenses reveal conflicting signals:

• De Bono Six Thinking Hats → references/six-hats.md — Team-oriented decisions, stakeholder conflict
• Islamic Epistemology Cognitive Levels → references/cognitive-levels.md — Depth-of-understanding analysis
• Bridges Synthesis → references/bridges-synthesis.md — Classical wisdom × modern engineering
• Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah → references/ibn-khaldun.md — Team dynamics, organizational cohesion, decay signals
• Security Engineering (Anderson) → references/security-engineering.md — 4-element security framework, threat modeling, usability, economics of security. Load when the decision or Foresight Report has security properties.

Invoke extended frameworks when:

• Core lenses reveal conflicting signals
• The problem has team/organizational dimensions
• The problem has philosophical or ethical dimensions
• The user invokes /istishraf:think-deeper or /istishraf:think-deeper --all