The CIE growth model
From curiosity to evidence—and responsible action.
Growth does not mean pushing every team towards company formation. It means improving the quality of decisions at each point of uncertainty.

CIE / MODEL
Four stages. Six continuous tasks.
Explore
Find a question worth testing
Build
Turn an assumption into a prototype
Launch
Earn evidence in a real setting
Grow
Build enduring capability
Discover → Team → Prototype → Evidence → Systems → Responsibility
01 / About
Six connected jobs
Observe people and systems; frame a bounded question; imagine and compare more than one route.
Make a testable prototype; validate the assumptions behind it; then iterate, pause, pivot, stop or expand with intent.
02 / About
Four kinds of evidence
Problem evidence comes from observation, interviews, literature and existing data. Need evidence identifies who genuinely requires a change.
Solution evidence covers usability, technical feasibility and risk. Progression evidence asks whether the team, resources and responsibilities fit the next stage.
03 / About
Reviews are not elimination rounds
Every review asks what was learned, what remains unknown, how credible the evidence is and which smallest experiment comes next.
Pausing, narrowing or closing a project may be the most responsible result. The quality of reflection matters more than the appearance of momentum.
04 / About
A company is not the only outcome
Useful outcomes may include research, a prototype, an open tool, a pilot, public learning material or a new venture.
CIE is concerned with whether participants become better at inquiry, collaboration, making, judgement and accountability.
05 / About
IP and investment boundaries
Ownership must be documented before teams form, external technology is used or a collaboration begins. CIE does not assume ownership of participant work.
Investment readiness may be educational, but valuation, investment decisions and transactions belong to appropriately qualified parties and require conflict disclosure.