Chapter 10 I n tienl l ti hg eenDc ei gGi t aa lt hAegrei n g I n the original edition of this book, we introduced the concept of “sending out scouting parties” as a vital practice for organizations operating in complex environments. We described how companies needed to actively explore both within their “canyons” and beyond them to detect opportunities, threats, and emerging patterns. This fundamental insight remains true today, but the landscape of intelligence gathering has transformed dramatically in the digital age. Consider the story of Eastman Kodak, once a dominant force in pho- tography. Kodak’s scouts actually detected the emergence of digital pho- tography early—in fact, the company invented the first digital camera in 1975. But the organization lacked effective mechanisms to integrate this intelligence into its strategic decision-making. As digital technology evolved, Kodak continued gathering intelligence about the changing land- scape, but struggled to translate this information into coherent action. By the time the company fully appreciated the transformation underway, it was too late to pivot successfully. Contrast this with the story of Netflix, which has repeatedly used superior intelligence gathering to anticipate and shape industry evolution. When Netflix launched its DVD-by-mail service in 1997, it was already gathering data about streaming video technologies. This intelligence
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