strategy Layer
Set direction and make the strategic bets that everything else must trace back to.
The Strategy layer is where the organisation defines its North Star — what it is committing to, and what success looks like. It sets direction and makes the strategic bets that everything below must trace back to.
Every intent, playlist and play in the tree exists to serve a commitment defined here. This layer is deliberately slow-moving compared to the others.
The Reflective Council operates here, setting OKRs and reviewing trajectory at Direction Reviews (evidence-triggered). The key discipline is restraint: the strategy layer should set a small number of clear commitments and resist the urge to micromanage how they are achieved.
The "how" belongs to the Portfolio and Execution layers. The Strategy layer's job is to ensure the organisation is solving the right problems.
Key principles
✓ Define the North Star — what success looks like.
✓ Commit to measurable outcomes (OKRs).
✓ Adapt direction when evidence demands it.
✓ Everything below must trace back here.
reflective council
Sets direction, challenges assumptions, and protects long-term value at the strategic level.
A senior body that sets direction, challenges assumptions, and protects long-term value. The council's job is not to chase momentum but to question whether the right bets are still the right bets — and to keep the system honest about what it is optimising for.
Typically composed of CTO, CFO, CDO or equivalent C-level leadership, the Reflective Council operates at the Strategy layer. They set OKRs, approve strategic pivots, and review portfolio-wide trajectory at Direction Reviews.
Their most important function is intellectual honesty: they must be willing to revise strategic commitments when evidence from the loops shows the world has changed. They do not specify HOW to achieve outcomes — they specify WHAT needs to move and trust the Portfolio and Execution layers to find the best path.
Key principles
✓ Sets direction and challenges assumptions.
✓ Protects long-term value over momentum.
✓ Questions whether the bets are still the right bets.
✓ Sets the OKRs the system traces back to.