Product Strategy
Not sure what to build first? MVP scoping, technical architecture, and roadmaps that make sense for your runway. Honest advice about what's possible and what to skip.
What we do
Before writing code, we help you figure out what to build and — just as importantly — what not to build. We have seen enough MVPs that became unmaintainable, enough rewrites that could have been avoided, and enough features that nobody used to know that the planning phase pays for itself. We provide technical architecture reviews, build-vs-buy analysis, and roadmap planning that accounts for your constraints — budget, timeline, team size, and technical debt.
The most expensive software is software that solves the wrong problem. We have watched startups burn six months of runway building features their users never asked for, and we have helped others launch in eight weeks by ruthlessly cutting scope to the core value proposition. Strategy is not about building more — it is about building the right thing first, and having a plan for what comes next.
Been There
Fourteen years of building products means we have seen what works and what doesn't. We give honest recommendations, not what sounds impressive in a pitch deck.
Builder Perspective
We are not management consultants. We are engineers who build the things we recommend. Our advice accounts for implementation reality.
Ideal For
- Pre-seed startups defining their MVP
- Companies planning a major rewrite or migration
- Investors evaluating technical due diligence
- Non-technical founders needing a technical co-pilot
- Teams with growing technical debt and no clear path forward
Core Tech
What we deliver
Everything you need to go from idea to production with product strategy.
MVP scoping and feature prioritization for runway constraints
Technical architecture review and recommendations
Build vs. buy analysis for third-party tools and services
Technology stack selection based on team and product needs
Roadmap planning with realistic timelines and dependencies
Technical due diligence for acquisitions and investments
Legacy system assessment and modernization planning
Team structure recommendations for scaling development
How we approach product strategy
A proven process refined over 14 years and hundreds of projects. No surprises, no hand-waving.
Discovery
Understand your business goals, constraints, existing systems, and team.
Analysis
Evaluate options, assess tradeoffs, model costs and timelines.
Recommendation
Deliver a clear plan with priorities, architecture, and next steps.
Support
Stay available for questions as you execute, adjust the plan as needed.
Why Fordel for product strategy
We have been on the other side of bad agency relationships. We built Fordel to be the development partner we wish we had.
Been There
Fourteen years of building products means we have seen what works and what doesn't. We give honest recommendations, not what sounds impressive in a pitch deck.
Builder Perspective
We are not management consultants. We are engineers who build the things we recommend. Our advice accounts for implementation reality.
Scope Discipline
Most MVPs try to do too much. We ruthlessly cut scope to the core value proposition. Build the smallest thing that validates your hypothesis.
Related projects
4 projects using product strategy
Finance AI Chatbot
A fintech founder needed an AI chatbot that gives accurate financial answers from their own knowledge base, not generic LLM responses.
Insurance Claims Processor
Manual claims processing took 15+ days with 23% error rate in data extraction.
Inventory Forecasting Engine
Seasonal demand swings caused frequent overstock and stockouts, eating into margins.
Customer Support AI Agent
Support team was drowning in repetitive tier-1 tickets, with 72-hour average response time.
Where we apply product strategy
Healthcare
HIPAA-compliant healthcare technology for patient engagement, clinical workflows, and operational ef...
Real Estate
Real estate technology for brokerages, property managers, and proptech startups. We build listing pl...
E-commerce
E-commerce platforms, recommendation engines, and fulfillment systems. We build the technology that ...
Fintech
Financial technology platforms that handle money, compliance, and trust. We build payment systems, t...
Insurance
Insurance technology that automates the tedious parts of claims, underwriting, and policy management...
SaaS
Software-as-a-service platforms with multi-tenant architecture, subscription billing, and the infras...
Tech stack
Technologies we use and recommend for product strategy projects. Stack selection always depends on your specific requirements.
Common questions about product strategy
We build the things we recommend. Consultants deliver slide decks — we deliver architecture, prototypes, and implementation plans written by people who will actually build the system. No handoff tax.
Architecture diagrams, technology recommendations with tradeoff analysis, a prioritized feature roadmap with realistic timelines, and a detailed scope document you can use to get quotes from any engineering team.
Yes. Most strategy engagements lead to a build engagement. The strategy phase ensures we build the right thing, the build phase delivers it. Typical flow: 2-week strategy, 6-8 week MVP build.
We work alongside your team as a second opinion. Architecture reviews, code audits, and technology selection support. We are not replacing your team — we are giving them experienced backup for critical decisions.
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