The Four Types of Value (and Why Clarity Matters)
Most teams are busy — but unclear about the value they’re actually chasing. This Cultivated Notes explainer breaks down the four types of value organisations pursue, why only one creates revenue, and how clarity helps shrink the gap between idea and impact.
Most teams are busy.
But many aren’t actually clear on what kind of value they’re trying to create.
In this Cultivated Notes explainer, I walk through a foundational idea from the Idea → Value system: the four types of value that organisations pursue — often without naming them.
Only one of these brings money into the business.
The others are internal, necessary, and valuable — but still costs.
When leaders and teams don’t distinguish between these types of value, work becomes noisy:
- cost reduction efforts spiral
- experiments run forever
- enablement work grows without limit
- and the connection between effort and outcomes gets lost
This short video is more technical than usual, but it’s a grounding piece — designed to create shared language, better decisions, and a clearer line of sight between ideas and impact.
Watch the video above to explore the four types of value — and why shrinking the gap between idea and value matters more than ever.
Go deeper into the craft of delivering value with the Idea → Value System — choose the workbook alone or the full workbook + video course for a richer learning journey.
