Power-Idea Project Matrix
Judge a project's prospects by idea quality and sponsor power
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
The Power-Idea Project Matrix evaluates initiatives along two independent dimensions: whether the proposal is a good or bad idea and whether it is backed by powerful or powerless stakeholders. A weak idea without influence is unlikely to advance, while a weak idea with strong sponsorship may still succeed politically. A good idea without power needs coalition building, evidence, or a credible champion. A good idea supported by influential institutions has the strongest eventual prospects, even when approvals take years. The framework prevents teams from interpreting delay or opposition as proof that the underlying project is doomed. It also exposes when enthusiasm for an idea is unsupported by the relationships needed to implement it. Leaders use the matrix to decide whether to persist, improve the proposal, recruit stronger sponsors, or stop.
Origin
Land-use lawyer Steve Lefkowitz shared the matrix with Dan Biederman after six years of opposition had left him discouraged about Bryant Park. The matrix persuaded him that a strong plan backed by the Rockefellers and property owners would ultimately prevail. Extracted from Masters in Business.
Core principles
- 01Idea quality and sponsor power are separate variables
- 02Strong ideas can still stall without influential backing
- 03Powerful sponsorship can advance weak proposals
- 04A strong idea with strong backing deserves persistence
- 05A weak and unsupported project rarely survives
How to run it
- 1
Evaluate the idea
Determine whether the proposal genuinely solves an important problem and has a credible mechanism, budget, and implementation plan.
Pro tip Ask informed skeptics to test the proposal rather than relying only on its advocates.
Watch out Do not classify an idea as good merely because its purpose is admirable.
- 2
Map the backers
List the people and institutions actively supporting the project and the decisions each can influence.
Pro tip Distinguish public endorsement from a willingness to spend political, financial, or reputational capital.
Watch out A famous name with no role in the approval process may add little practical power.
- 3
Place the project
Classify the initiative as good or bad and its coalition as powerful or powerless, creating one of four matrix positions.
Pro tip Record the evidence behind both ratings so the classification can be revisited.
Watch out Avoid allowing sponsor prestige to bias the assessment of idea quality.
- 4
Select the response
Persist with good, powerful projects; recruit support for good but powerless ones; challenge bad but powerful ones; and stop bad, powerless ones.
Pro tip Turn the classification into a specific next action and review date.
Watch out The matrix predicts political prospects, not moral legitimacy.
- 5
Reassess after changes
Update the matrix when the plan improves, sponsors join or leave, or approval authority shifts.
Pro tip Track coalition changes separately from design changes.
Watch out A project can move between quadrants over time.
In the wild
After six years of difficult approvals, Biederman considered giving up. Lefkowitz observed that the plan was strong and backed by the Rockefellers and surrounding property owners, placing it in the good-idea, powerful-backer quadrant despite intense resistance.
→ Biederman returned to work, the project proceeded, and Bryant Park became a successful model for privately managed public space.
A team proposes a sound cross-department process improvement, but no executive owns the affected budgets or can resolve conflicts. The matrix identifies a strong idea with powerless backing.
→ The team recruits an executive sponsor before investing in a full rollout.
Common mistakes
Equating delay with failure
A strong, well-backed project may still move slowly through political systems. Assess its quadrant before abandoning it.
Mistaking approval for quality
Powerful sponsors can advance poor ideas. Evaluate the mechanism independently of the coalition.
Overestimating passive supporters
Stakeholders who agree privately but will not act do not constitute powerful backing. Measure commitment through concrete influence and resources.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for projects requiring political, institutional, regulatory, or cross-organizational approval.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for decisions governed mainly by technical feasibility with little stakeholder dependence.
From the transcript
“There are dumb projects and smart projects, good ideas, bad ideas, and then there are projects backed by powerful people and projects backed by powerless…”
“This is a fabulous idea. Your plan is great.”
“This is going to happen. Don't get discouraged, stop winning and go back to work.”
From the episode
Interview With Dan Biederman: Masters in Business (Audio)
Dan Biederman