Unplanned Planning: The Magic of Fluid Tech Strategy

package strategy

type Strategy interface {
    Plan() error
    Execute() error
    Adapt() Strategy
}

Bruce Lee nailed it: “Be like water.” And honestly, if your tech strategy can’t flex like that, you’re already losing. In a world where everything shifts on a dime, planning isn’t about locking down every detail—it’s about creating a framework that bends without breaking.

It’s like Darwin said: the adaptable survive. Or Tyson: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. So stop pretending your perfectly planned roadmap will save you. It won’t. What will? The ability to adapt when things inevitably go sideways.

graph TD;
    A[Plan] --> B[Execute];
    B --> C[Adapt];
    C --> A;

Plan -> Execute -> Adapt -> Repeat. That’s the rhythm of survival. But sometimes you’ll be stuck here:

graph TD;
    A[Plan] --> B[Execute];
    B --> C[Adapt];
    C --> C;
    C --> C;
    C --> C;
    C --> A;

Adaptation isn’t failure; it’s momentum. Over-planning, on the other hand, is the ultimate buzzkill. You’ll waste time obsessing over details while missing the magic of improvisation. The best moves happen when you’re not following the script.

Focus on the outcome, not the implementation. What are you trying to build? Forget the nitty-gritty for now. Keep it simple. A cluttered strategy kills creativity. Use a monorepo, a single file—whatever keeps things focused and easy to shift.

Roadmaps should inspire, not chain you down. Leave space for unpredictability, because that’s where innovation lives. Check out my article “Forkability: Software’s Key to Evolution” for a deeper dive into how adaptability drives long-term success in tech.

Fluid strategy isn’t just about survival—it’s about evolution. For a broader perspective, see “Software Species: A Darwinian Perspective”, where I explore how adaptability mirrors survival in nature and software.

And when stability is needed—when you’re shipping a polished product—that’s when you tighten things up. Until then, let your strategy flow.

“Be like water, shaping and reshaping, but always moving forward.”

Your best strategy isn’t perfect. It’s fluid. It evolves. And it works.