# The 4 hour strategic plan

> How a simple 4-hour time-boxed approach can help you evaluate potential projects and make confident decisions without analysis paralysis.

- Published: 2024-01-01
- Author: Ron Jansen (https://rxj.dev/about/)
- Canonical: https://rxj.dev/posts/4-hour-strategic-plan/

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I've a kazillion ideas. I'm sure you have too. But how do you know which one to pursue? A coach advised me at somepoint to spend at max 4 hours to think about a potential career paths. Any more time spend on it is a waste of time, does not necessarily adds value linearly. I think this is a great advice. Time boxing is a great way to get things done. So, to validate if I should work on an idea I first spend max 4 hours documentating a potential viable strategy. Thus the 4 hour strategic plan.

- The mom test: what problem are you solving? For who?
- Competition: vertical or horizontal
- Do I have an edge?
- How can I acquire customers?
- Why not do it?