Precedent Case
Skunk Works Pattern
A repeatable pattern: strong charter, small team, top cover, and interface discipline.
Context + constraints
- High-stakes delivery
- Severe constraints
- Need for speed without chaos
Trigger
Programs requiring rapid capability under tight constraints.
Intervention design
- Give a small team a clear mission
- Provide top cover to remove drag
- Design interfaces first to enable integration and swaps
Execution mechanics
- Mission brief with a hard definition of done
- Short feedback loops and demos
- Explicit interfaces and dependency control
Outcomes
- Faster shipping with fewer integration surprises
- Better replaceability of components
- Reduced dependency on heroics
Transfer mechanism
- Mission briefs and checklists
- Interface packs and contract tests
- Mentorship to replicate
Genesis Forge design takeaway
Speed is a function of interfaces and decision rights. When those are explicit, small teams can outpace large programs safely.
Citations
- Skunk Works patterns