concept-hierarchy

name	concept-hierarchy
description	Build concept levels from purpose through concepts to ideas, with escape and fractionation at each level.
execution	tactic
used-by	lateral-thinking, concept-fan, challenge-operation

Concept Hierarchy

Build multi-level concept structures from purpose through broad concepts to specific ideas.

Stages

Stage 1: Concept Fan Expansion

Use concept-fan-expansion SOP to build the initial hierarchy:

• Purpose level (why)
• Concept level (broad approaches)
• Direction level (specific angles)
• Idea level (concrete proposals)

Stage 2: Escape Technique

Apply escape-technique SOP at each level to identify and break free from dominant thinking patterns that limit the hierarchy.

Stage 3: Fractionation

Use fractionation SOP to split broad concepts into finer units, enabling recombination into novel structures.

Minimum Yield

Metric	Floor
Concept levels	≥3
Ideas per level	≥2
Escape directions identified	≥2
Fractionation recombinations	≥3

Available SOPs

SOP	Role
concept-fan-expansion	Stage 1 — build concept hierarchy
escape-technique	Stage 2 — escape dominant patterns per level
fractionation	Stage 3 — split and recombine concepts