Adjacent Possible Mapping Template
Hey there, innovator! This template is designed to help you discover those BREAKTHROUGH opportunities that exist just one step beyond your current capabilities. I've structured this to guide you through mapping your own Adjacent Possible zones across all four domains we covered in the article.
Feel free to modify this template to fit your specific needs - there's no one-size-fits-all approach to innovation!
SECTION 1: MAP YOUR "ACTUALS"
First, let's document what you're ALREADY great at - your current capabilities across all four domains. These form the foundation from which you'll explore adjacent possibilities.
Knowledge Actuals
What specific knowledge domains do you have depth in? Be as specific as possible!
Process Actuals
What workflows and processes are you currently using and highly familiar with?
Problem Actuals
What types of problems have you successfully solved in the past?
Skill Actuals
What skills and capabilities are you confident in? Include both technical and soft skills!
SECTION 2: IDENTIFY ADJACENT POSSIBILITIES
Now for the FUN part! For each domain, let's identify possibilities that are just ONE STEP BEYOND your current capabilities - especially those that might be enabled or enhanced by AI tools.
Knowledge Adjacent Possibilities
What new knowledge domains could you access by combining your existing knowledge with AI assistance? Which previously separate domains could now be bridged?
Adjacent Knowledge Area How AI Could Help Bridge the Gap Potential Value/Impact
Process Adjacent Possibilities
What new workflow configurations become possible with AI assistance? Not just automating steps, but reimagining the entire process!
Current Process Adjacent Process Possibility How AI Enables This Expected Outcome
Problem Adjacent Possibilities
What related problems could you now solve by adapting existing solutions with AI assistance? Think laterally!
Problems You've Solved Adjacent Problem Opportunity How Solutions Could Transfer Required AI Capabilities
Skill Adjacent Possibilities
What new skills become accessible with AI augmentation? What could you do with "AI as training wheels"?
Current Skill Adjacent Skill Opportunity How AI Could Help Bridge the Gap Value of This New Capability
SECTION 3: PRIORITIZE YOUR ADJACENT POSSIBILITIES
Now let's figure out which of these adjacent possibilities are MOST worth pursuing! Rate each identified opportunity on these criteria, using a scale of 1-5 (5 being highest).
Adjacent Possibility Feasibility (1-5) Value/Impact (1-5) Strategic Alignment (1-5) Resource Requirements (1-5) TOTAL SCORE
SECTION 4: DESIGN SMALL EXPERIMENTS
For your highest-scoring adjacent possibilities, design small experiments to test them before making major investments. Remember - the Adjacent Possible is about incremental exploration!
Experiment Design Template
Adjacent Possibility Being Tested:
Experiment Objective: What specific question are you trying to answer?
Success Criteria: How will you know if this experiment worked?
Required Resources: What minimal resources do you need to run this test?
Timeline: How long will you run this experiment before evaluating?
Key Metrics: What will you measure to evaluate success?
Potential Next Steps: Depending on results, what might you do next?
SECTION 5: REFLECTION AND ITERATION
After running your experiments, use this section to reflect on what you've learned and identify NEW adjacent possibilities that have opened up!
What worked?
What didn't work as expected?
What surprised you?
What NEW adjacent possibilities have now become visible?
What will you try next?
Remember - the Adjacent Possible isn't about making massive leaps or predicting some distant future. It's about systematically exploring what's immediately possible at the intersection of human expertise and AI capabilities.
Each adjacent possibility you discover not only creates value today but opens up NEW adjacent possibilities tomorrow! Keep experimenting, keep learning, and keep pushing that boundary of what's possible.
Good luck on your Adjacent Possible innovation journey!