Portfolio Management for Innovation: Guide Your Ant Colony to Success
Big orgs don't run one startup — they run a whole colony
By Tristan Kromer · Hi there,
This is about the big picture.
Big organizations don’t run just one startup. They run their existing business(es), they are trying to expand into new markets, and they’re also trying to figure out how to disrupt their own industry.
So how do you allocate your resources effectively across many different projects for today, tomorrow, and the far flung future?
This is the art of portfolio management - but there is also some science to it!
We’re pleased to announce the release of Ants!, our new online game.
Quick Answer: Portfolio management is the art and science of allocating resources across projects serving different time horizons — core business, adjacent opportunities, and transformational bets. As product managers, we need to balance investments across all three rather than over-investing in one horizon. Kromatic’s free online game Ants! makes this tangible by putting you in charge of an ant colony where you must distribute resources for both immediate survival and long-term success in a risky environment.
You’ll learn about the resource allocation process as your ant colony fights for survival. Learn to balance your core business, adjacent opportunities, and longshot transformational projects to survive in a risky environment and set a path towards long-term success.
We want to know what you think, so please give us your honest early feedback. What’s hitting the mark? Is it fun?
You are the queen of this colony - so get started and guide your ants to success!
Don’t forget to check out our other free Kromatic resources – we are always here to help you invest in today, tomorrow, and the future!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is portfolio management in innovation and why does it matter?
Portfolio management is the art and science of allocating resources effectively across multiple projects that serve different time horizons — your core business today, adjacent opportunities for tomorrow, and transformational projects for the far future. As product managers, we need to balance these investments to ensure both present survival and long-term success.
How do you balance core business, adjacent, and transformational projects?
The key is recognizing that each category carries different levels of risk and reward. Core business projects keep the lights on, adjacent opportunities expand into new markets, and transformational projects aim to disrupt your own industry. We need to distribute resources across all three rather than over-investing in just one horizon.
What is the Ants game and how does it teach portfolio management?
Ants! is a free online game by Kromatic where you play as a queen ant guiding your colony’s survival. It teaches the resource allocation process by having you balance core survival needs, adjacent opportunities, and longshot transformational projects in a risky environment — making abstract portfolio management concepts tangible and fun.
Why do big organizations need to think about portfolio management differently than startups?
Big organizations don’t run just one startup — they simultaneously manage existing businesses, expand into new markets, and try to disrupt their own industry. This complexity means we can’t treat resource allocation as a single-project decision. We need a structured portfolio approach to invest appropriately across today, tomorrow, and the far-flung future.
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