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# Flexible north stars
- URL: https://www.cesarrg.com/flexible-north-stars/
- Published: 2025-07-09T11:30:02.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-09T11:30:10.000Z
- Author: César Rodríguez
- Tags: Techniques

#258 - Jul.2025

Most strategies fail because they ignore balancing **short and long-term thinking.**

They either over-index on quick wins or create detailed plans for an uncertain future.

It's **planning paradox**: should you start from the vision and work backwards or start creating certainty to discover a vision?

I think we need **both**: iterating fast through experimentation and retrofitting a strategy towards a bold vision.

Today we are living in a highly uncertain environment. Planning for the long-term is becoming nearly impossible. We need to build certainty through **quick validations** while keeping a **flexible north star**.

The solution isn't choosing one approach over the other but designing a strategy that operates on multiple time horizons.

Here's a simple framework to do this:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/10/f4/10f4a52f-1b7d-4284-b66d-0fccfd9dc5da/content/images/2025/07/CRG-Title-Strategy-Blueprint-white.png)

- **Run experiments** (1-4 weeks): Test your assumptions fast and cheap. Adapt as you learn from real customer behavior.
- **Find & validate opportunities** (1-3 months): Focus on opportunities that maximize both customer value and business outcomes.
- **Refine product strategy** (1-2 years): Set clear focus by defining what problems you're solving. This clarity will help you guide your execution.
- **Refine business strategy** (2-5 years): Design and refine a business model that creates the conditions for long-term success.

It works both ways. 

Long-term vision guides execution, while experimentation builds evidence to refine strategy.

¡Saludos!

![César Rodríguez](https://storage.ghost.io/c/10/f4/10f4a52f-1b7d-4284-b66d-0fccfd9dc5da/content/images/2024/09/image-2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/10/f4/10f4a52f-1b7d-4284-b66d-0fccfd9dc5da/content/images/2024/02/CR_sign_2024-3.png) 

**César Rodríguez**  
[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/crodriguezguevara/?ref=cesarrg.com) / [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/cesarrg.blog/?ref=cesarrg.com) / [X](https://x.com/cesarrgv?ref=cesarrg.com) 

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