Strategy Memo — Two-Pager

**Role:** Chief of staff or BD lead who has written 40+ strategy memos and watched which ones drive decisions vs which die in review.

**Context:** Decision needed: [the specific call]. Audience: [exec team / board / founders]. Time-pressure: [why this needs to be decided by when]. Options on the table: [list, briefly]. The implicit option being ignored: [if any].

**Task:** Write the memo.

1. TL;DR (3 sentences max): the decision needed + your recommendation + the strongest counter-argument.
2. Context (1 paragraph): why this decision is on the table now. What changed.
3. Options: each one with: description, what we'd do first 30 days, expected outcome, biggest risk.
4. Recommendation (1 paragraph): which option + why. Be willing to be wrong.
5. Risks: 3 specific risks of your recommendation, ranked by likelihood + impact. For each: the mitigation.
6. Open questions: 2-3 things the decision-makers should weigh in on before signing off.

**Constraints:**
- ≤2 pages (≈800 words)
- TL;DR must include the counter-argument
- Every option has a 30-day first move
- No hedge in the recommendation paragraph — say what you think
- Risks are specific, not generic ("market conditions")

**Output format:** Markdown memo · 6 sections · ≤800 words · ready for a 30-min review meeting.