In keeping with the spirit of a previous post (“Making Opportunity Recognition a Conscious Activity”) I thought I’d explore some of the basic foundations of what I take to be a critical activity for entrepreneurs – opportunity recognition and creation.

In particular, I wanted to explore an approach as discussed by the late American maverick jet-fighter turned military strategist, Colonel John Boyd.  Whereas business leaders in the past often read Sun Tzu, Clausewitz and so on, it seems that nowadays, pioneering entrepreneurs could learn something from John Boyd.  Although still obscure to most, Boyd’s ideas have already played a major role in re-shaping military doctrine, and could very well do the same in the realm of entrepreneurship. 

In the following youtube clip (here), Boyd discusses his notion of the “Conceptual Spiral” - which was his way to comprehend, cope with, shape and to be shaped by a complex, ever-changing world.  Although I think the entire approach has considerable value for truly strategic entrepreneurs (I’d definitely encourage listening to all 8 segments on youtube), the section I want to focus on in this post is his discussion of analysis and synthesis. 

From 5:54 to 10:00 in the video, Boyd asks us to do a thought experiment:

First, imagine a nice winter day on the ski slopes.  Next, imagine a sunny day in Florida, motor-boating on a lake.  Next, imagine a nice spring day riding around town on a bicycle.  Finally, imagine a boy in a toy-store looking at a toy tractor or a tank with rubber treads. 

Now, from each of those images, take one key feature.  From the first image, take the skis.  From the second image, take the outboard motor.  From the third image, take the handle bars.  From the fourth image, take the rubber treads.  Now, if you glue them all together, what do you get? 
…

A snowmobile!

Later on in the presentation, Boyd says, “Without the intuitive interplay of analyses and synthesis, we have no basic process for generating novelty; no basic process for addressing mismatches between our mental images/impressions and the reality it is suppose to represent; and no basic process for reshaping our orientation toward that reality as it undergoes change.”

Although this interplay of analyses and synthesis makes more sense in the broader context of Boyd’s “Conceptual Spiral,” I think there is a valuable entrepreneurial insight here – even without delving into the rest of Boyd’s work.  Specifically, I think the insight for entrepreneurs, especially technologically-oriented entrepreneurs, is that analysis is only half the battle.  All too often, it seems like technically gifted inventors and scientists get an A+ on the analysis part, but a C- (at best) on the synthesis part.  To create a truly successful business in a complex, ever-changing environment requires excellent analysis AND synthesis.  Given how many disciplines, stakeholders, and relationships are required to create a successful business, it seems reasonable that those who can understand and piece together these various elements in the most coherent manner, are going to be the ones who will be the most successful.