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Module 06: Trigger Mapping

Lesson 4: Workshop 1 - Business Goals

Saga Guides You to Define What Winning Looks Like

Overview

Workshop 1 is where Saga helps you articulate the strategic foundation for your entire Trigger Map. Through a guided conversation, Saga draws out both your aspirational vision and the concrete measurable objectives that prove you're succeeding.

Duration: 15-20 minutes Format: Guided dialog with Saga (one thoughtful question at a time) Output: Vision statement + 3-5 strategic objectives (documented by Saga)

Understanding the Two Levels

Business goals work on two distinct levels:

1. Vision (Visionary Statements)

What it is:

Aspirational and motivational
Grand ambitions that reflect focus and direction
Not exact or measurable
Examples: "Be the best," "Fastest in market," "Top of mind"

Characteristics:

Easy to set, hard to measure
Provides the "why" and emotional drive
Inspires and motivates the team
Gives direction without rigid constraints

2. Strategic Objectives

What it is:

Specific and measurable (expressed using SMART method)
Observable evidence that vision is being realized
Concrete milestones you can track
Examples: "10,000 users by Q4," "70% retention rate"

Characteristics:

Harder to set, easy to measure
Provides the "what" and accountability
Enables progress tracking
Creates clear success criteria

Why both matter: Visionary statements provide motivation and direction. Objectives provide accountability and proof of progress. Together they create both inspiration and measurement.

How the Guided Dialog Works

Phase 1: Saga Helps You Articulate Vision

Saga starts with the big picture:

Saga asks about your grand ambition - not metrics yet, just the aspirational future state. She listens as you describe what motivates the team and why this project matters.

Natural conversation flow:

Saga: "Let's start with the big picture. What's the grand ambition behind this project?" You: "We want to make remote work sustainable and healthy..." Saga: "That's compelling. When you say 'sustainable and healthy,' what does that mean to you?" You: [You elaborate on your thinking] Saga: "So if I'm hearing you right, you're aiming to..." [reflects back your vision]

Saga captures your vision statement as you talk. No forms to fill out.

Phase 2: Saga Bridges to Observable Reality

The critical bridging question:

Once Saga understands your vision, she asks the question that transforms aspiration into measurable reality: "When this vision is being realized, what will we observe in the world?"

Conversation continues:

Saga: "When remote work is sustainable and healthy, what will we actually see happening?" You: "Well, teams would be using the tools regularly, staying engaged..." Saga: "Good - what else? What would prove this is working?" You: "They'd stick around long-term, maybe grow their usage..." Saga: "And from a business perspective?" You: "We'd see revenue that proves the model is viable."

Saga documents these observations as you think through them together.

Phase 3: Saga Helps Define Strategic Objectives

Converting insights to SMART objectives:

Now Saga takes what you've described and helps you sharpen it into 3-5 specific, measurable objectives. She asks about numbers, timeframes, and what's realistically achievable.

See SMART Method Reference for the framework Saga uses.

Dialog example:

Saga: "You mentioned teams using it regularly. What does 'regularly' look like in numbers?" You: "Daily engagement would be ideal..." Saga: "What's a meaningful daily engagement metric you could track?" You: "Maybe 15 minutes of active time?" Saga: "Perfect. So one objective could be: 'Increase average session time to 15 minutes daily.' Does that capture it?"

Saga documents each objective in proper SMART format as you refine them together.

Example final objectives:

Achieve 5,000 active teams by Q4 2024
Increase average session time to 15 minutes daily
Reach 70% weekly retention rate
Generate $50K MRR by end of year

Saga's Conversational Approach

Questions Saga Asks (One at a Time)

Saga doesn't interrogate - she guides. Each question builds naturally on what you just said. She listens deeply, reflects back your thinking, and helps you articulate what you already know but haven't fully expressed.

Opening questions about vision:

"What's the grand ambition behind this project?"
"When you say [your words], what does that really mean to you?"
"What motivates your team about this?"
"Why does this matter right now?"

The critical bridging question:

"When this vision is being realized, what will we observe in the world?"
"What evidence would prove this is working?"
"What would we actually see happening?"

Sharpening into SMART objectives:

"What specific numbers would indicate success?"
"By when would you need to hit these targets?"
"How will you measure [the thing you mentioned]?"
"What counts as 'active' or 'engaged' in your context?"
"Is that achievable given your resources and timeline?"

Saga's Facilitation Techniques

Like BMad v6, Saga:

Asks one question at a time (never overwhelming)
Listens to your full answer before responding
Reflects back what you said to confirm understanding
Asks clarifying follow-ups naturally
Documents as you talk (you don't type, she captures it)
Challenges gently when something needs sharpening
Makes you feel heard throughout the conversation

The result: You end the conversation with clear, documented goals that feel like yours (because they are) - Saga just helped you articulate them.

Generic Example Walkthrough

Vision (Visionary Goal)

"Make remote work sustainable and healthy for distributed teams"

Why this works:

Aspirational and motivating
Clear direction without rigid constraints
Easy to communicate and remember
Inspires the team

Bridging Question

"When remote work is sustainable and healthy, what will we observe?"

Observations:

Teams using our solution daily
High retention rates (people stay)
Growing usage patterns
Sustainable business model (revenue)

Strategic Objectives (using SMART method)

Achieve 5,000 active teams by Q4 2024
- Specific: Active teams (defined metric)
- Measurable: 5,000 teams
- Achievable: Based on market size and growth rate
- Relevant: Proves market adoption
- Time-bound: Q4 2024
Increase average session time to 15 minutes daily
- Specific: Session time metric
- Measurable: 15 minutes
- Achievable: Industry benchmarks
- Relevant: Indicates engagement
- Time-bound: Daily measurement
Reach 70% weekly retention rate
- Specific: Weekly retention
- Measurable: 70% rate
- Achievable: Above industry average
- Relevant: Proves value delivery
- Time-bound: Weekly tracking
Generate $50K MRR by end of year
- Specific: Monthly recurring revenue
- Measurable: $50K
- Achievable: Based on pricing and targets
- Relevant: Business sustainability
- Time-bound: End of year

What You Get from Workshop 1

✅ Crystal-clear vision - Your ambition articulated better than you could alone ✅ SMART strategic objectives - Your goals sharpened and documented by Saga ✅ Natural bridge - Vision and metrics connected logically (not forced) ✅ Strategic foundation - Everything else builds from this conversation ✅ Team alignment - "Why" and "what" captured in Saga's documentation ✅ Clarity without worksheets - No templates, just guided conversation ✅ Confidence - Your strategic thinking validated and strengthened

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Rushing Through Saga's Questions

Problem: Giving short, surface-level answers to move faster Why it fails: Saga can't help you think deeply, results are shallow Fix: Take time with each question. Saga's pace is intentional.

Mistake 2: Not Challenging Vague Language

Problem: Accepting when Saga reflects back fuzzy thinking Why it fails: Ends with goals you can't actually use Fix: When something doesn't feel right, say so. Saga will help sharpen it.

Mistake 3: Bringing Pre-Written Goals

Problem: "Here are my goals, just document them" Why it fails: Misses the value of Saga's guided thinking process Fix: Come prepared with ideas, but let Saga guide you to refine them

Mistake 4: Saying Yes to Too Many Objectives

Problem: Saga suggests narrowing to 5, you insist on keeping 15 Why it fails: Dilutes focus, creates confusion for later workshops Fix: Trust Saga's strategic advice - she knows what feeds into Workshop 2-5

Mistake 5: Setting Unrealistic Targets to Impress

Problem: Inflating numbers because they sound better Why it fails: Later workshops build on these - unrealistic goals cascade Fix: Be honest with Saga about resources and constraints

Mistake 6: Skipping the Bridging Question

Problem: Jumping straight from vision to random metrics Why it fails: Goals feel disconnected from the bigger purpose Fix: Let Saga guide you through "what will we observe?" - it's the key step

How This Feeds Into Next Workshops

Workshop 1 creates the foundation:

Business Goals (Vision + Objectives)
    ↓
Workshop 2: Which user groups can help achieve these?
    ↓
Workshop 3: What drives those groups' behavior?
    ↓
Workshop 4: Which groups and drivers matter most?
    ↓
Workshop 5: Which features address top priorities?

Everything traces back to the goals you define here.

Tips for a Successful Dialog with Saga

DO:

✅ Think out loud - Saga learns from your reasoning, not just your answers
✅ Challenge what doesn't feel right - Saga wants you to push back
✅ Ask Saga to explain why she's asking something - it helps you think
✅ Reference your Product Brief - Saga will connect the dots
✅ Take time to think before answering - this isn't a speed test
✅ Trust Saga when she suggests sharpening fuzzy language

DON'T:

❌ Rush through to "get it done" - thoughtful answers = better outcomes
❌ Give one-word answers - Saga needs context to help you think
❌ Treat it like a form - it's a conversation, not data entry
❌ Accept vague objectives just to move on - Saga will help you sharpen
❌ Inflate numbers to sound impressive - be realistic with Saga
❌ Skip the vision phase - Saga needs the "why" before the "what"

What's Next

Workshop 2 identifies WHO can help you achieve these goals - your target groups. You'll create prioritized personas that become the foundation for understanding user psychology.

Key Takeaways

✅ Guided conversation, not a form - Saga asks one thoughtful question at a time ✅ Two levels emerge naturally - Vision (aspirational) then Strategic Objectives (SMART) ✅ The bridging question is key - "What will we observe?" connects vision to metrics ✅ Saga documents as you talk - No templates or worksheets to fill out ✅ Your thinking, sharpened - Saga helps you articulate what you already know ✅ 3-5 objectives is strategic - Saga guides you to focus on what truly matters ✅ Foundation for all workshops - These goals drive everything that follows ✅ Like BMad v6 - Natural dialog flow that makes you think better

← Back to Module Overview | ← Back to Lesson 3 | Next: Lesson 5 - Workshop 2: Target Groups →

Part of Module 06: Trigger Mapping

12 KiB Raw Blame History