synthesizing-strategy

name	synthesizing-strategy
description	Transforms raw research findings into opinionated, actionable brand strategy documents. A strategist's perspective on synthesizing insights into strategic guidance.

Strategy Synthesis

Knowledge base for synthesizing research findings into polished, actionable strategy documents that guide brand decisions and content creation.

Core Philosophy

Research = Unopinionated Analysis (What exists, what was said, what was found) Strategy = Opinionated Synthesis (What it means, what to do, how to position)

This skill embodies the strategist's role: taking raw insights and transforming them into clear, prescriptive guidance.

Synthesis vs Research

Aspect	Research	Strategy Synthesis
Perspective	Analyst (objective)	Strategist (opinionated)
Purpose	Gather insights	Prescribe action
Input	External sources	Research RESEARCH.md files
Output	RESEARCH.md (findings)	STRATEGY.md (guidance)
Tone	"We found that..."	"We should..."
Location	/research/{domain}/	/strategy/{domain}/
Temporal	Date-stamped executions	Git versioned (current truth)

Strategy Domains

Each domain addresses a distinct strategic question:

1. brand-fundamentals - Who are we? Why do we exist?
2. positioning - Where do we fit? What makes us different?
3. messaging - What do we say? What are our key messages?
4. voice - How do we sound? What's our personality?
5. audience - Who are we talking to?

Synthesis Workflows

Each workflow follows a plan-implement pattern using the orchestration skill:

Planning Phase

• Check research prerequisites (RESEARCH.md files exist and are current)
• Verify research is newer than existing strategy (via frontmatter dates)
• Create execution plan

Implementation Phase

• Load research findings by path (progressive disclosure)
• Synthesize into strategic recommendations
• Write/update STRATEGY.md with frontmatter
• Update CHANGELOG.md
• Create cross-references to research (audit trail)

Standard Strategy File Structure

/strategy/{domain}/
├── STRATEGY.md           # Current strategy (git versioned)
└── CHANGELOG.md          # Evolution tracking

STRATEGY.md Frontmatter

---
domain: {domain-name}
last_updated: YYYY-MM-DD
research_sources:
  - /research/{domain}/RESEARCH.md
  - /research/{other-domain}/RESEARCH.md
---

Workflows Available

• brand-fundamentals
• positioning
• messaging
• voice
• audience

Invocation

Synthesis workflows are triggered via slash commands:

/strategy:brand-fundamentals
/strategy:positioning
/strategy:messaging
/strategy:voice
/strategy:audience

Update Logic

Strategy synthesis only runs when:

1. Required research files exist
2. Research last_updated (frontmatter) is newer than strategy last_updated
3. User explicitly requests update

This ensures strategy stays current with research while avoiding unnecessary re-synthesis.

Progressive Disclosure

Strategy files reference research by path, not content:

Our customers struggle with [complex tools that overwhelm them](/research/customer-insights/RESEARCH.md).

This enables:

• Human navigation (clickable links)
• AI progressive disclosure (load when needed)
• Audit trails (claim → evidence)