Direction Which comes first, strategy or development? We believe the answer is: both... Put on a blindfold. Spin till dizzy. Now SPRINT. Let's assume you need to develop your business's Internet presence. You know you need to start with some particular piece (e.g. an online brochure). Other than that, uncertainty or naivity reigns supreme: there's limited knowledge of the Internet, a loose strategy, an unspecified budget, open-ended expectations... Here is a management paradox in the making: how do you ensure your Internet development progresses rapidly and usefully when there's so much uncertainty? Partnership helps An obvious first step is to partner with a quality Internet consulting firm. We can apply our knowledge to help challenge and expand your current thoughts about the initial direction and steps to take, and our project management and technical skills can ensure rapid and professional execution of an initial phase. However, this still doesn't address the fact that uncertainty is inherent to business on the Internet. Forcing premature strategic decisions might clarify things, but it's ultimately counter-productive. How does one best manage amid so much uncertainty? The Evolutionary Spiral Process We have adopted an innovative strategic framework for Internet development that we call the Evolutionary Spiral Process, or ESP for short. ESP starts by fully embracing uncertainty at all levels. Decisions and strategy then emerge alongside development as part of a longer-term evolutionary process. The following provides a simplified overview of ESP. Picture a spiral... Each loop represents a phase of development. Right now, you are at or near the center. Your initial phase of development might be to produce a basic web site, perhaps an online brochure. Later on, provided all has gone well, you may have a phase that adds some feature that relies on database programming, or an online community initiative, or aggressive search engine promotion, or... the list is, of course, endless. The point is, you do things that are simple, high-leverage, low-cost, rapidly implemented, and high impact, FIRST, and things that are complex, expensive, and longer-term, later. The results of earlier phases feed into later ones. For each phase you establish one or two basic objectives, defer everything else, then rapidly analyze/plan/execute. Conclusion When considering Internet development partners, ask yourself whether they have both a short and long term view, and whether they have what it will take to ensure you spend the least to get the farthest quickest. We use our Evolutionary Spiral Process model to do just that. If you are interested in further details about ESP, please ask. Note that ESP is based on an earlier framework for development of complex software. Chin-Ning Chu is considered by many to be the world's leading global strategy consultant. She turned to Digital Impact for guidance on her Internet strategy. Chin-Ning Chu (third-party bio) Digital Impact  1-877-DIMP.COM Intelligent Strategy. Great Websites. Outstanding Service.