Precedent Case
IBM Project Chess
Small skunkworks teams can create outsized outcomes when focus is protected and shipping is the metric.
Context + constraints
- Large enterprise context
- Need for rapid product creation
- Constraints on time and attention
Trigger
Need for a focused effort to ship a new product under constraints.
Intervention design
- Create a small cross-functional team
- Protect the team from organizational drag
- Ship prototypes early and iterate with feedback
Execution mechanics
- Clear charter and decision rights
- Rapid prototyping
- Direct user/stakeholder feedback loops
Outcomes
- Shipped capability faster than typical
- Built credibility for the approach
- Provided a model other teams could copy
Transfer mechanism
- Visible success story
- Playbook-style documentation
- Leaders replicating the pattern
Genesis Forge design takeaway
A small focused team with clear decision rights is a force multiplier. Protecting attention is often the highest-leverage intervention.
Citations
- IBM Project Chess