For me, Strategy is a deliberate, iterative, and continuous process of aligning values, capabilities, and resources, given a market/context, to create and sustain a chosen growth path toward an aspirational future. Strategy is therefore a function, not a plan or a project. By definition, “function” has several meanings, each of which illustrates what strategy is. As a noun, it denotes the job to be performed and the purpose of something. In mathematics, a function maps inputs to outputs, revealing relationships between resources and results. In computing, a function is a code block that executes a specific task — print, insert, delete, and so on. A function also refers to a gathering or social event. As a verb, to function simply means to perform, to carry out what needs to be done.  Taken together, function implies purpose, continuity, community and internal execution. In contrast, projects are time‑bounded, temporary, and tend to adopt a finite mindset rather than a growth mindset. They usually run parallel to day‑to‑day operations and are often executed individually or by ad hoc teams. For strategy to deliver the growth path it should, it cannot be an ad hoc, time‑bounded plan. It must become part of the company’s day‑to‑day DNA. When asked about the deliverables of a strategic plan, presentations and documents often come to mind; when asked about the deliverables of a strategic function, look instead to changes in daily operations — new mindsets, increased capacity, coherent organizational structures, added features, new products, captured market share, market expansion, and M&A activity, among others. The strategic function incubates initiatives that drive operational change and embeds them into day‑to‑day activities to set the course for the company’s target growth trajectory. Lasting growth arises from internal transformation, not from peripheral efforts that never become part of the organization’s core operations. If strategy is not treated as an ongoing function, it will eventually revert to a finite, low‑value‑creating task. - José Arroyo Sinfonica Founder