1. Trend Identification & Research (30 minutes)

Establish scope: What's the strategic question? Product innovation, new markets, threats, or positioning? Clear scope focuses trend selection.
Brainstorm trends across categories. Use a framework: Technology, Market, Regulatory, Social, Economic. Teams generate trends on sticky notes, one per note. Push for specificity: "Generative AI reduces content creation costs by 80%+".
Give teams 15 minutes, then share and cluster similar trends. Look for 8-12 distinct trends that are: (1) substantial, (2) early or mid-stage, (3) relevant, (4) somewhat independent. Capture selected trends prominently.
For each trend, do a 2-minute characterization: What's driving it? Current state? Where's it headed? Timeframe? This grounds exploration. Teams can reference reports or their knowledge.

1. Intersection Mapping (30 minutes)

Identify promising intersections. Explain with an example: "Remote work + AI = AI-powered async tools." The intersection creates something specific.
Create an intersection matrix: list trends on both axes. Identify 2-trend and 3-trend intersections worth exploring. "Remote work + quantum computing" probably doesn't produce an intersection. But "remote work + AI + sustainability" might.
Work in teams to propose intersections. For each, ask: Does something new emerge? Is the timing right? Is this relevant? Aim for 8-12 intersections. Don't fully explore yet.
Capture each intersection with a short descriptor: "AI + Sustainability + Remote Work = Optimized low-carbon operations." The descriptor communicates what emerges, not just lists the trends.

1. Deep Dive on Top Intersections (50 minutes)

Select 3-4 compelling intersections. Criteria: strategic relevance, timing (1-3 years), differentiation, feasibility. Vote or discuss to converge.
Divide into teams and assign one intersection to each. Teams answer questions:
What emerges here? Customer needs, product opportunities, business models, or competitive dynamics?
Who cares? Which customer segments would value this?
What's the value proposition? What problem does this solve?
What's required to play here? Capabilities, partnerships, investments, or positioning?
What's the timing? Emerging now, in 1-2 years, or 3-5 years?
Who else is playing here? Competitors, startups, or adjacent players?
Teams document their exploration. Circulate and coach toward specificity. Push teams to name example products or services.

1. Intersection Presentations & Discussion (30 minutes)

Each team presents (7 minutes + 3 minutes Q&A). Presentations should bring the intersection to life: What is it? Why does it matter? What would you do here? Teams should present with conviction.
During presentations, capture key insights: customer needs, capability gaps, competitive positioning, timing. Note patterns across intersections.
Facilitate cross-intersection discussion: Which intersections are most compelling? Which have best timing? Where do we have the right to win? This reveals strategic themes.

1. Opportunity Evaluation & Prioritization (10 minutes)

Evaluate intersections using simple criteria. Plot on a 2x2: Strategic Fit (high/low) and Timing & Feasibility (now/later).
This creates four quadrants: High fit + Now = Priority, High fit + Later = Watch, Low fit + Now = Partner or pass, Low fit + Later = Monitor. Place each intersection in the appropriate quadrant.
Concentrate on Priority and Watch & Prepare intersections. Focus on execution, not scattered experiments. Aim to identify 2-3 intersections for immediate exploration and 1-2 for capability building.

1. Action Planning (10 minutes)

For top intersections, define next steps: What do we need to learn? What experiments should we run? Who owns this? What's the timeline?
Good next steps are concrete: "Product team will develop concept prototype by end Q2." Vague steps don't lead anywhere.
Establish how you'll continue intersection thinking. Will you refresh the trend landscape quarterly? Ongoing practice builds strategic advantage.

• Large visual workspace (wall or whiteboards).


• Sticky notes (multiple colors, sizes).


• Thick markers and pens.


• Large poster paper or foam boards.


• Laptops or tablets (optional).


• Trend stimulus materials (articles, reports).


• Example intersections.


• Strategic context brief.


• Space setup.


• Digital collaboration tools (optional).


• Trend database or scanning (optional).


• Video examples (optional).


• Intersection templates (optional).


• Extra sticky notes and markers.


• Printed trend references.


• Alternative presentation materials.