Definition
A cross-functional council with authority to stop, pivot, or scale ventures based on evidence, protecting portfolios from inertia and pet projects.

Introduction
Without decisive governance, weak projects linger and strong ones starve. Councils enforce fast, fair, evidence-based calls.

Explanation

Membership: strategy, finance, product, legal/risk, BU leaders; chaired by a neutral sponsor.

Cadence: monthly for seeds, quarterly for builds/scales.

Inputs: milestone ledger, experimental evidence, risk/compliance status, resourcing needs.

Decisions: kill, pivot (change customer/problem/pricing), merge with another effort, or scale with tranche funding.

Transparency: publish decisions and reasons; archive artifacts for learning.

Key Takeaways

Speed + finality prevent resource drain.

Make the burden of proof explicit and consistent.

Celebrate smart kills to de-stigmatize stopping.

Real-World Case
Telefonica Wayra’s governance evolved to faster “go/no-go” cycles and clearer commercial pathways, improving conversion from pilots to scaled deals.