Ansoff Matrix Maker
Decide where to grow without betting the company. Igor Ansoff's matrix maps four growth strategies on two axes — existing/new markets × existing/new products — with risk levels you can see at a glance. Auto-saves in your browser, exports as SVG, PNG, JSON or text.
Auto-saved in your browser's localStorage on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use this ansoff matrix maker
- Name the analysis with company + horizon (e.g. 'Acme growth plan 2026-2028'). Ansoff is about future moves — the timeframe shapes which quadrants are realistic.
- Start in Market Penetration (existing market, existing product). It's the safest quadrant and the easiest to under-explore. Most companies have 30-50% room to grow here before needing new products or new geographies.
- Pick Product Development or Market Development next — both medium-risk. Match it to your existing strength: strong brand → Market Development (sell what you have in new places); strong R&D → Product Development (build new things for the customers you already have).
- Add Diversification last and rarely. Use the risk pill colour to make the cost of each move visible to the team — bright red means 'we'd better be confident'.
- Export as PNG for board strategy decks, SVG for posters, or JSON to revisit at the next planning cycle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ansoff Matrix?
A 2×2 matrix introduced by Igor Ansoff in 1957 that maps growth strategies along two axes: existing vs new products (horizontal) and existing vs new markets (vertical). The four cells are Market Penetration, Product Development, Market Development and Diversification — each with a different risk and resource profile.
Which quadrant is highest risk?
Diversification (new product + new market) — you're learning two things at once with no validated base. Market Penetration (existing product + existing market) is lowest risk: you already know both. Ansoff's own research found diversification has a 1-in-3 success rate compared to 3-in-4 for penetration, which is why the matrix is sometimes called the 'risk matrix' too.
Should a startup pursue Diversification?
Almost never. Startups lack the resources to validate two unknowns at once. Most successful early-stage growth lives in Market Penetration or Product Development; Diversification fits established companies with surplus capital looking to hedge against a declining core business.
What's the difference between 'related' and 'unrelated' Diversification?
Related Diversification stays close to what you know — Disney moving from films to theme parks shares characters, audiences and brand. Unrelated Diversification is a true leap — General Electric making aircraft engines AND consumer appliances AND finance. Related is far less risky because at least some of your existing capabilities transfer; unrelated is essentially starting a second company.
Market Penetration sounds boring — why start there?
Because it's where most of the unclaimed growth actually is. Companies chase new markets and products because they're exciting, then discover they had unmined depth in their existing customer base — under-served segments, low share-of-wallet, churn they could have prevented. Penetration also funds the riskier quadrants. Boring is profitable.