Innovation Funnel
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A process model, closely related to stage-gate systems, in which a large pool of ideas enters the top of the funnel and is progressively screened on criteria such as feasibility, market value, and resource fit. Only a small number survive to launch. The key qualification is that the funnel is a portfolio device rather than a verdict on individual ideas: most ideas should be eliminated, and the design question is whether the gates are placed well. Gates set too early kill options before evidence exists; gates set too late waste resources.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Intake volume: measure how many ideas enter the top, since a narrow mouth limits everything downstream. - Gate design: define explicit criteria for each stage instead of relying on seniority or taste. - Kill logging: record why each idea was dropped so gate criteria can be audited later.
Anchor fast decisions
Innovation outcomes are highly skewed, so expected value comes from testing many options cheaply and increasing investment only as evidence accumulates. Successive gates reduce uncertainty at each stage while capping spend on failures. The funnel therefore converts a wide, cheap search into a narrow, expensive commitment, which is more efficient than betting heavily on a single idea at the outset.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more
Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-gate_processverified
PRIVATE NOTES · Only visible to you
SAVED Q&A
ENTRY Q&A · Private saving available
Ask with a clear boundary
thinkingmodels answers from published entry context only.
Your question is sent to thinkingmodels. The answer uses public entry context only.
RELATED MODELS