The Knowledge Funnel: How Discovery Takes Shape--How Design Thinking Produces Innovation, Efficiency, and Long-Term Competitive Advantage

By: Roger L. Martin

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Synopsis: There are two schools of thought when it comes to value creation. One holds that the path to value creation lies in driving out the old-fashioned practice of gut instincts and replacing it with strategy based on rigorous, quantitative analysis. The other favors creativity and innovation. To the proponents of this philosophy, the creative instinct, unfettered by analytical thinking, is held up as the source of true innovation. But according to author Roger Martin, the most successful businesses in the years to come will balance analytical mastery and intuitive originality in a dynamic interplay called "design thinking." In this chapter, Martin describes how embracing design-thinking principles and adopting the model of the knowledge funnel creates advances in both innovation and efficiency--a combination that produces the most powerful long-term competitive edge. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 1 of "The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage."