Definition

A plan of action designed to achieve a specific goal, or what every executive claims to have when they're really just winging it with a PowerPoint deck. Originally a military term for winning wars, now equally applied to launching products, conquering markets, or deciding which social media platform to abandon next. The more syllables in your strategy name, the less likely anyone understands it.

Example Usage

Our go-to-market strategy involves leveraging synergies across multiple verticals to maximize stakeholder value.

Source: Common business terminology via standard dictionaries

Related Terms

Intermediate

restructuring

The corporate euphemism for firing people and shuffling departments while pretending it's all part of a strategic master plan. Companies restructure when they need to look busy or when consultants need to justify their fees. It's like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, except sometimes it actually works and the ship doesn't sink.

💼 Corporate / Business
Intermediate

StanLee

To steal credit or money from people who trust you, typically in a professional context—a reference to controversies surrounding comic legend Stan Lee's crediting practices. It's when your boss puts their name on your PowerPoint and gets promoted for it. The workplace betrayal that makes you understand why people quit.

💼 Corporate / Business
Intermediate

oust

The professional way of saying 'kick them out' when firing, removing, or otherwise yeeting someone from a position of power. Popular in corporate boardrooms and political coups, it's what happens when your performance review goes spectacularly wrong. Less violent than it sounds, but equally devastating to one's career.

💼 Corporate / Business
Intermediate

Ideation

The act of coming up with ideas but making it sound like a sacred ritual requiring a facilitator, sticky notes, and at least one beanbag chair. It's brainstorming for people who think brainstorming isn't expensive-sounding enough.

💼 Corporate / Business
Intermediate

Table stakes

The minimum requirements needed to compete in a market, borrowed from poker. What you need just to get in the game, not to win it—though many companies mistake this for a complete strategy.

💼 Corporate / Business
Intermediate

Buy-In

Getting people to agree with your idea, typically achieved through a combination of PowerPoint slides, free lunch, and mild intimidation. Without buy-in, your brilliant proposal is just a Google Doc that nobody starred.

💼 Corporate / Business

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