Ambidextrous design

Ambidextrous designAmbidextrous design: a senior team integrates a core unit and an explore unit, with borrowed assets flowing from core to explore under governed agreementsSenior team and executive championShared strategic intent; settles disputesCore (exploit)Explore (dedicated team)Metrics: revenue, margin,uptimeProcess: release train, stagegatesFunding: annual planCulture: predictabilityShared staff: sales, support,security review, SREMetrics: learning, leadingindicatorsProcess: experiments, evidencegatesFunding: metered tranchesCulture: speed, candor aboutfailureSingle-threaded leader; ownkill criteriaBorrowed: customers, data, channel, certsReturned: learning, new revenue, talent

Structural ambidexterity in product terms. The two units run on different metrics, processes and funding. The senior team integrates them, and every asset the explore team borrows from the core has a named owner and an agreement about what flows back.