A skunk works is a small, agile team within a larger organization that operates with a high degree of autonomy to work on innovative or experimental projects. The idea is to bypass the usual bureaucracy and move fast—often testing bold ideas that might not survive in a more traditional setting.
The term originated in the 1940s with Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Projects division, which developed cutting-edge aircrafts. The name was inspired by a fictional “Skonk Works” factory, known for its strong smells and offbeat operations.
Today, “skunk works” is used more broadly to describe any internal innovation lab or stealth project team that’s empowered to break the rules (in a good way) to drive breakthrough thinking.
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