Alignment Foundational

The 3-Layer Execution Model

A structured framework for translating product strategy into squad-level delivery by separating vision, initiative, and task layers.

Context

Most product organizations struggle not with strategy but with the gap between strategy and execution. Teams know the vision but cannot connect daily decisions to it. The 3-Layer Execution Model provides a structural answer to this problem.

Model Explanation

The model separates product execution into three distinct layers:

Layer 1: Vision (18–36 months) The outcome the product is trying to achieve in the market. Expressed as a user or business outcome, not a feature. Changes infrequently. Owned by product leadership.

Layer 2: Initiatives (1–3 quarters) Bets that, if successful, move the vision measurably closer. Each initiative has a clear hypothesis, a success metric, and a defined scope. Owned by senior PMs or heads of product.

Layer 3: Deliverables (1–6 weeks) The specific work squads execute against initiatives. These are scoped tightly enough to ship, test, and learn from within a sprint cycle. Owned by squad-level PMs and engineers.

Diagram

VISION
  └─ Initiative A
       └─ Deliverable 1
       └─ Deliverable 2
  └─ Initiative B
       └─ Deliverable 3
       └─ Deliverable 4

Application

Use this model when:

  • Squads are shipping but leadership cannot connect output to strategy
  • Prioritization debates escalate because no shared layer of abstraction exists
  • The roadmap is a feature list, not a structured set of bets

At each layer, ask: Does this item trace cleanly to the layer above? If not, it is either misplaced or the strategy is unclear.

Decision Impact

Organizations that operate with explicit layer separation ship more coherently, make faster prioritization calls, and can hold squads accountable to outcomes rather than output.