Innovation Ambition Matrix
Innovation Ambition Matrix is a team reflection exercise for reflection and learning: it helps participants reflect on experience and turn observations into learning.
How to run it
- Start by drawing a graph on a large white board or poster. Label the axes as follows:
- Y-axis: “Where to Play.” This measures the novelty of your customers. Will the innovation serve an existing, enter an adjacent, or create a new market?
- Next, draw three curves within the axes as seen in the picture below to divide the chart into the three levels of innovation ambition.
- Core (closest to origin): optimize your current products for current customers (ex. make faster technology)
- Adjacent: add a new feature to your existing business (ex. create an app version of your website)
- Transformational: create breakthroughs for markets that do not currently exist
- . Start by drawing a graph on a large white board or poster. Label the axes as follows:
- . Next, draw three curves within the axes as seen in the picture below to divide the chart into the three levels of innovation ambition.
Run this exercise live
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Materials:
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Prompts to use +
Start by drawing a graph on a large white board or poster. Label the axes as follows:
Y-axis: “Where to Play.” This measures the novelty of your customers. Will the innovation serve an existing, enter an adjacent, or create a new market?
Next, draw three curves within the axes as seen in the picture below to divide the chart into the three levels of innovation ambition.
Adjacent: add a new feature to your existing business (ex. create an app version of your website)
Transformational: create breakthroughs for markets that do not currently exist
. Start by drawing a graph on a large white board or poster. Label the axes as follows:
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Innovation Ambition Matrix. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Start by drawing a graph on a large white board or poster. Label the axes as follows:; Y-axis: “Where to Play.” This measures the novelty of your customers. Will the innovation serve an existing, enter an adjacent, or create a new market?; Next, draw three curves within the axes as seen in the picture below to divide the chart into the three levels of innovation ambition.; Adjacent: add a new feature to your existing business (ex. create an app version of your website). Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Gamestorming; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Gamestorming.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.