skunk works
Clandestine innovation team
A skunk works is a small, semi-autonomous team within a larger organization, given freedom from normal bureaucratic constraints to work on innovative or secret projects.
The term originated at Lockheed's Advanced Development Programs during World War II.
Companies establish skunk works when conventional structures would slow down urgent or experimental development: The new prototype came out of their skunk works division.
- Lockheed MartinAerospace and defense corporation
- stealth fighterAircraft designed to evade detection
- black opsUnacknowledged covert activities
- task forcesTeams for specific assignments
- labsScientific workspaces, shortened
incubators · garage startup · brainstorming · sprints · think tanks · prototyping · moonshots · experimentation · design thinking · special operations · black budget · need to know · accelerators · ideation · covert operations · milestones · creative problem-solving · deliverables
skunk workscorporate headquarters
Firm's primary administrative location
bureaucracy · main office · headquarters · corporate hierarchy · official channels
skunk worksred tape
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
standard operating procedure · business as usual · oversight committee
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