Program overview
Strategic Management is the flagship Polancodreams program. Across 12 weeks you will move from market and capability analysis through scenario planning, capital allocation and execution governance. You will graduate with a fully drafted, board-ready strategic plan for your own business unit.
Learning outcomes
- Diagnose industry structure, competitive position and customer economics with rigour.
- Build a capability map and identify true sources of advantage versus undifferentiated effort.
- Design and stress-test a 3-year strategic plan with measurable milestones.
- Translate strategy into operating model design, capital plan and KPI architecture.
- Lead strategy reviews and quarterly planning rhythms with executive teams.
Curriculum: 8 modules
01Strategy fundamentals and frameworks
What strategy actually is — and is not. Mental models, common failure modes and the Polancodreams strategy canvas.
02Industry and competitive analysis
Five forces, value chain mapping, competitive positioning. Live case from Canadian retail and tech sectors.
03Customer economics and segmentation
Jobs-to-be-done, willingness-to-pay, segmentation discipline and customer LTV.
04Capability mapping and competitive advantage
Build the capability stack. Identify durable advantages versus replicable activities.
05Scenario planning and strategic options
Plausible futures, optionality, real-options thinking and portfolio decisions.
06Financial governance of strategy
Capital allocation, hurdle rates, stage-gating and resource discipline.
07Operating model and execution architecture
Translate strategy into structure, processes, KPIs and incentives.
08Capstone: board-ready strategic plan
Defend a complete 3-year plan in front of a panel of practitioner faculty.
Who this program is for
- Directors and VPs leading a business unit, function or product line.
- Founders preparing for Series B and beyond.
- Senior managers stepping into a P&L role within 12 months.
What you receive
- Live weekly seminars, recorded for review.
- One-on-one mentorship with a practitioner faculty member.
- Polancodreams Strategy Toolkit — workbooks, templates, case library.
- Lifetime alumni access and quarterly mentor check-ins.
- Verified certificate of completion.