Definition
An approach to strategy that eschews rigid, decades-long master plans in favor of taking decisive, opportunistic steps into adjacent possibilities based on emerging technology and user behavior.
Why It Matters
Rigid long-term planning often leads to ‘hallucinatory’ strategy that ignores real-world feedback; following your nose allows an organization to navigate the ‘adjacent possible’ and discover the true killer applications that top-down planners invariably miss.
Core Concepts
- Iterative vs. Grand Vision: While competitors (like Microsoft’s Bill Gates) often try to architect a sweeping “grand vision” for the next decade, the iterative approach adapts to real-world feedback (e.g., Apple noticing the failure of iMovie to capture a mass market, and rapidly shifting focus to iTunes and digital music).
- The Value of Patience: Resisting the urge to force a market prematurely. Waiting for the technology, timing, and resources to align before striking.
- Pivoting via Prototyping: Developing adjacent tools, observing how people use them, and pivoting resources into the tools that gain organic traction.