Originated by H. Igor Ansoff (Strategies for Diversification, 1957).
Sorts growth options into four boxes by whether the product and the market are existing or new, each box carrying a different level of risk.
When to reach for it
Planning has produced a long list of growth ideas, and leadership needs to see which are safe extensions and which are bets on two unknowns at once.
How it runs
- Place the current business at existing products in existing markets.
- Put each growth option in one of the four boxes.
- Note the risk and the capabilities each box demands.
- Keep the options that fit the firm's appetite for risk.
- Sequence the chosen moves so risk builds gradually.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Strategies for Diversification, Harvard Business Review, 1957