The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
Lenny Rachitskyreview.firstround.com
Saved by Ted Glasnow and
The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
5. Strategic pillars - Three to five key bets that the company needs to make
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
The key to effective planning? Debate vigorously, but unite.
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
Here’s our template for developing Key Initiatives:1. Strategy2. List of key projects3. Expected timeline and impact4. Resources needed5. Risks and dependencies
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
The framework is made up of four steps:1. Context: Leadership shares a high-level strategy with Teams2. Plans: Teams respond with proposed plans3. Integration: Leadership integrates into a single plan, and shares with Teams4. Buy-in: Teams make final tweaks, confirm buy-in, and get rolling
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
In order confirm team buy in, leaders should focus on 3 goals:
1. Share the integrated plan with Team leaders2. Make final tweaks based on their input3. Commit and share widely
1. Share the integrated plan with Team leaders2. Make final tweaks based on their input3. Commit and share widely
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
Remember, plans always get more complicated once they're put into practice — never less.
New priorities emerge, market forces change, and everything takes longer than you expect. Your plan needs focus — likely more focus than you might feel comfortable with.
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
Listen: Make sure to genuinely listen to concerns and red flags. Though it may sound like complaining, the fact that people care is a good sign. Most times teams on the ground can identify major flaws in a plan much more quickly than Leadership.
review.firstround.com • The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
With thoughtfulness and shared effort, the plan will come together and be ready to share with the entire company. This should be a moment of celebration. With the help of all of the leaders across the organization, and with all of the information at your disposal, you’ve come up with the best possible plan. Share the vision, the strategy, and the e
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Leadership (i.e. exec team, business unit leads) is responsible for 1)Developing an inspiring high-level vision and strategy2) Sharing a concrete goal for the period3) Making the final decision on what is prioritized and resourced