Use Cases
See real examples of Crucible sessions and the Decision Briefs they produce.
Product Strategy
A SaaS team debates whether to launch a new feature called 'Adaptive Billing.' They need fast, multi-angle reasoning across product, engineering, marketing, finance, and legal.
View Product Strategy Use Case →Strategic Workforce Planning
An organization is battling 98-day vacancy cycles for critical Coordinator roles. While metrics appear stable, operations rely on expensive agency staff, masking compliance risks and eroding margins. They must decide whether to approve a 4.5% wage increase funded by redirecting agency spend within a critical 30-day window.
View Strategic Workforce Planning Use Case →Common Scenarios
These scenarios benefit from multi-perspective debate, exposing blind spots and generating comprehensive analysis.
Market Entry Decisions
Evaluate new markets, entry strategies, and resource allocation. Should you enter through a direct presence, partnership, or acquisition? What are the regulatory, cultural, and competitive risks? How do you balance speed-to-market against capital requirements?
Example: A SaaS company must decide between establishing a direct European presence ($2M budget, 12-month timeline) versus partnering with local distributors (lower cost, less control) while navigating GDPR compliance and established competitors.
Pricing Strategy
Analyze pricing models, competitive positioning, and revenue impact. Should you shift from fixed to usage-based pricing? How do you balance customer acquisition, retention, and profitability? What are the legal and engineering implications?
Example: Transitioning from seat-based to usage-based billing could increase LTV by 15%, but requires refactoring 60% of existing contracts, managing revenue predictability, and addressing legal exposure around billing disputes.
Technology Choices
Evaluate technology stacks, vendors, and architectural decisions. Should you build in-house, buy, or partner? What are the trade-offs between vendor lock-in, scalability, and development velocity? How do you balance technical debt with time-to-market?
Example: Choosing between a proprietary AI platform (higher cost, better integration) versus open-source alternatives (lower cost, more maintenance) while considering team expertise, scalability needs, and vendor dependency risks.
Risk Assessment
Identify risks, evaluate mitigation strategies, and assess impact. What are the financial, operational, legal, and reputational risks? How do you prioritize risk mitigation against business objectives? What guardrails are needed?
Example: A fintech launching a new product must evaluate compliance risks (regulatory penalties), technical risks (system failures), and market risks (competitive response) while balancing risk mitigation costs against growth targets.
M&A and Strategic Partnerships
Evaluate acquisition targets, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. What are the synergies, integration risks, and cultural fit? How do you value intangible assets and assess post-merger execution challenges?
Example: A company considering acquiring a competitor must evaluate financial terms, technology integration complexity, team retention risks, and market consolidation effects while competing against other bidders.
Resource Allocation & Budgeting
Prioritize investments across product development, marketing, operations, and infrastructure. How do you balance short-term revenue needs with long-term strategic bets? What are the opportunity costs and ROI trade-offs?
Example: Allocating a $5M budget between expanding sales capacity (immediate revenue), R&D for new product line (future growth), and infrastructure upgrades (operational efficiency) with competing stakeholder priorities.
Regulatory & Compliance Strategy
Navigate regulatory requirements, compliance frameworks, and policy changes. How do you balance compliance costs with business agility? What are the risks of non-compliance versus over-compliance? How do you prepare for regulatory shifts?
Example: A healthcare tech company must decide how to respond to new data privacy regulations—implementing minimal compliance (lower cost, higher risk) versus exceeding requirements (higher cost, competitive advantage).