A Stoic Conversation: Strategy vs Plan

In a sunlit corner office, Alex, the CEO of a legacy enterprise, shares coffee with Sam, a dynamic startup founder. The city skyline stretches beyond them.

🔹 Alex: "Sam, our companies might be worlds apart in age, but this cloud wave is something else. My board is urging me to go all in. They believe it's the golden ticket."
🔹 Sam, taking a sip: "It's tempting, Alex. We startups hear it all the time, too. 'Go cloud or go home,' right? But it's not about hopping on the train. It's about knowing where the train's going."
🔹 Alex, intrigued: "You sound cautious for a startup founder."
🔹 Sam: "I am. Because a tool without a purpose is just... excess baggage. We must ask: 'Why cloud?' first, then 'How cloud?'."
🔹 Alex: "So you're saying... Strategy before plan?"
🔹 Sam, nodding: "Exactly. A strategy is your 'why', your north star. The plan? That's your step-by-step journey to get there."

Alex contemplates this, "New era tech, age-old wisdom. Whether startup or established, the basics don't change. The compass before the map."

Would your company pack a compass or a map? Or both?