I’ve watched too many good teams lose momentum — not because they lacked ideas, but because they kept guessing their next move. Drowning in options, directionless.
Here’s what to do instead:
📊 Analyze and Sort Your Ideas into 3 Buckets: Exploit. Experiment. Explore.
I call it the E3 Framework. And it’s what I’ve used with 30+ tech ventures stuck in the “grey zone” of stalled growth.
With the help of Pipo — Pivotal’s AI-powered strategy companion — we go from “12+ ideas, no clear focus” to “here’s exactly what to bet on” in just one 5-hour workshop.
1️⃣ Exploit: Maximize What Still Works
Optimize current revenue engines. Squeeze every drop of ROI from assets you already have.
ACME13 Case: Pipo and I identified 4 overlooked levers in their current model. This added 30% in revenue — with no product change at all.
2️⃣ Experiment: Validate High-Potential Bets
Focus on 2–3 promising ideas. These are not guesses — they already show signs of traction. But they need testing. Build MVPs, pilot quickly, and collect real data.
ACME13 Case: We killed 7 half-built MVPs and redirected the team to focus on just 3. That alone cut time-to-signal by 70% and uncovered a breakout direction.
3️⃣ Explore: Investigate Future-Facing Ideas (Cautiously)
These are speculative ideas that may pay off — eventually. Approach with limited time and capacity.
ACME13 Case: One idea was explored internally. Two others were assigned to a board member + Pivotal for minimal-effort validation.
📈 6-Month Check-In With ACME14 Revealed:
- 75% of Exploit moves implemented, immediately reducing burn.
- 1 Experiment graduated to core strategy.
- 2 Explore ideas revealed potential acquirers and shaped a future exit strategy.
🎯 Final Thought:
Being overwhelmed by options isn’t a leadership flaw — it’s a signal to structure your thinking.
If your team is scattered or stuck in decision paralysis, DM me. We’ll collect your internal data and fix it in a focused 5-hour strategy workshop using the E3 Framework and Pipo.