How Growth Leads Prioritize Strategic Choices Using the 4 Points Strategy
Prioritization of strategy choices is often like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while the room is filling with water and stakeholders are arguing about the shade of blue. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is the emergency brake. It’s designed to stop the 'more is better' growth fallacy and force you to find the one human friction point that actually matters. If a project can't survive these four boxes, it’s not a priority - it’s just busywork designed to make you feel productive while your LTV/CAC ratio burns to the ground.
The TL;DR
Stop trying to optimize 400 things at once. Identify the human friction (Problem), the secret behavior (Insight), your one real weapon (Advantage), and the singular marching order (Strategy) that connects them before your burn rate eats your soul.
Why This Stops Your Roadmap From Being a Total Disaster
Prioritization is usually just a political game of 'who's loudest in the Slack channel.' This framework replaces the noise with logic that actually sticks.
PROBLEM
Forget 'churn' or 'low conversion.' Those are spreadsheets, not problems. What is the actual anxiety, boredom, or annoyance stopping a human from clicking? If you can't describe the problem without using business jargon, you don't understand it yet.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s the 'why' behind the 'what.' What do they believe that makes them act this way? It should be something your competitors are too lazy or too corporate to acknowledge. If it doesn't sound a little bit cynical, it’s probably just a fact.
ADVANTAGE
This is your Advantage. Not 'great culture' or 'innovative tech.' What do you have that actually solves the Problem better than anyone else? It needs to be a specific tool, not a vague promise. If everyone else can say it, it's not an advantage; it's a commodity.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It’s a single, aggressive sentence that tells the team exactly what hill we are dying on. It’s not a list of tactics; it’s the logic that makes the tactics work. If it's more than 15 words, you're still rambling.
PROBLEM
Forget 'churn' or 'low conversion.' Those are spreadsheets, not problems. What is the actual anxiety, boredom, or annoyance stopping a human from clicking? If you can't describe the problem without using business jargon, you don't understand it yet.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s the 'why' behind the 'what.' What do they believe that makes them act this way? It should be something your competitors are too lazy or too corporate to acknowledge. If it doesn't sound a little bit cynical, it’s probably just a fact.
ADVANTAGE
This is your Advantage. Not 'great culture' or 'innovative tech.' What do you have that actually solves the Problem better than anyone else? It needs to be a specific tool, not a vague promise. If everyone else can say it, it's not an advantage; it's a commodity.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It’s a single, aggressive sentence that tells the team exactly what hill we are dying on. It’s not a list of tactics; it’s the logic that makes the tactics work. If it's more than 15 words, you're still rambling.
Ways You'll Probably Screw This Up
(And waste another quarter)
- ×Defining the 'Problem' as a lack of your product (it's called narcissism, look it up)
- ×Mistaking a 'Growth Hack' for a 'Strategy' (hacks are temporary, strategy is foundational)
- ×Using 'Innovation' as an Advantage (it's a word that means nothing in 2024)
- ×Writing an Insight that is just a data point like '70% of users drop off' (that's a 'what', not a 'why')
- ×Trying to solve three problems at once because you're afraid of being wrong
- ×Making the Strategy so vague it could apply to a lemonade stand or a tech giant
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it suggests your current product might be the problem
- ×Prioritizing the easiest thing to build instead of the thing that solves the 'Get'
If your strategy doesn't make some people in the room uncomfortable, you're just playing it safe. Safe is how brands go to die.
Real Examples
B2B SaaS Retention
A project management tool seeing high churn after the 14-day trial.
PROBLEM
Users feel overwhelmed by the setup process and fear they'll look incompetent to their boss if they can't get it working instantly.
INSIGHT
People would rather stick with a broken spreadsheet they know than risk looking like a failure with a new 'solution' they don't.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Magic Import' feature that turns any messy spreadsheet into a perfect project board in under 30 seconds.
STRATEGY
Pivot the onboarding from 'Feature Education' to 'Instant Professional Validation.'
PROBLEM
Users feel overwhelmed by the setup process and fear they'll look incompetent to their boss if they can't get it working instantly.
INSIGHT
People would rather stick with a broken spreadsheet they know than risk looking like a failure with a new 'solution' they don't.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Magic Import' feature that turns any messy spreadsheet into a perfect project board in under 30 seconds.
STRATEGY
Pivot the onboarding from 'Feature Education' to 'Instant Professional Validation.'
D2C Subscription
A high-end coffee subscription struggling to acquire customers from grocery stores.
PROBLEM
Coffee drinkers feel like 'experts' are judging them for not knowing the difference between a light roast and a hole in the ground.
INSIGHT
They don't want to learn about coffee; they just want to feel like the kind of person who drinks the 'good stuff' without the effort.
ADVANTAGE
A 'No-Bullshit' taste quiz that matches beans to their favorite candy bar flavors.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Snob-Free Zone' for high-end caffeine addicts.
PROBLEM
Coffee drinkers feel like 'experts' are judging them for not knowing the difference between a light roast and a hole in the ground.
INSIGHT
They don't want to learn about coffee; they just want to feel like the kind of person who drinks the 'good stuff' without the effort.
ADVANTAGE
A 'No-Bullshit' taste quiz that matches beans to their favorite candy bar flavors.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Snob-Free Zone' for high-end caffeine addicts.
FinTech Acquisition
A savings app trying to get Gen Z to move money from their checking accounts.
PROBLEM
Saving money feels like a punishment for having a life, rather than a reward for the future.
INSIGHT
Gen Z doesn't care about 'retirement' in 40 years; they care about the 'Guilt-Free Splurge' they can afford next month.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Burner Savings' vault that automatically rounds up change specifically for 'dumb purchases' like concert tickets.
STRATEGY
Frame saving as a 'Future Fun Fund' rather than a 'Safety Net.'
PROBLEM
Saving money feels like a punishment for having a life, rather than a reward for the future.
INSIGHT
Gen Z doesn't care about 'retirement' in 40 years; they care about the 'Guilt-Free Splurge' they can afford next month.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Burner Savings' vault that automatically rounds up change specifically for 'dumb purchases' like concert tickets.
STRATEGY
Frame saving as a 'Future Fun Fund' rather than a 'Safety Net.'
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my 'Advantage' is just that we're cheaper?
Then your strategy is a 'Race to the Bottom.' Own it. Be the cheapest, cut every cost, and stop trying to sound premium. If you can't be the cheapest, find a real advantage.
How do I prioritize if I have three valid 4 Points strategies?
Look at the 'Get.' Which problem is the most painful for the customer? Solve the biggest fire first. If you try to solve three, you’ll just make three things lukewarm.
Can the 'Strategy' be a list of features?
No. Features are how you execute the strategy. The Strategy is the logic. If you can't explain why those features matter in one sentence, they shouldn't be on the roadmap.
My boss wants me to prioritize a 'Growth Hack' I know is trash. Help.
Run it through the framework. If it doesn't have a real Insight or solve a real Problem, show them the 'Common Mistakes' list. If they still want it, do it, but keep your resume updated.
How often should a Growth Lead refresh this?
Every quarter, or every time your CAC spikes for no reason. Markets move, people get bored, and your 'Advantage' can evaporate faster than your morning coffee.
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