---
id: "framework-dfv"
type: "framework"
source_timestamps: ["§ Integrating disparate intentions and ways of working", "¶20"]
tags: ["decision-making", "risk-assessment", "metrics"]
related: ["entity-org-mastercard-labs", "entity-garry-lyons", "framework-three-functions-of-bridgers", "action-co-create-operating-model"]
steps: ["Assess Desirability (Customer value-add and market demand).", "Assess Feasibility (Technical viability and capability to build).", "Assess Viability (Alignment with corporate strategy and business model)."]
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/why-great-innovations-fail-to-scale"
source_title: "Why Great Innovations Fail to Scale"
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-nm-102-innovations-fail-to-scale"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/why-great-innovations-fail-to-scale"
sourceTitle: "Why Great Innovations Fail to Scale"
---
# DFV Risk-Assessment Framework (Desirability, Feasibility, Viability)

A shared **risk-assessment framework introduced by [[entity-org-mastercard-labs|Mastercard Labs]]** (under [[entity-garry-lyons|Garry Lyons]]) to guide collaborations with the core business and accelerate joint investment decisions. It establishes explicit, shared criteria to assess key milestones and decide when to **green-light or kill** experiments, features, or projects — a concrete output of the [[framework-three-functions-of-bridgers|integrating]] function and of [[action-co-create-operating-model|co-creating the operating model]].

**DFV stands for:**
- **Desirability** — customer value-add and market demand.
- **Feasibility** — technical viability and capability to build.
- **Viability** — alignment with the overarching corporate strategy and business model.

**Enrichment note:** DFV mirrors the widely used design-thinking / IDEO and Lean Startup innovation lenses (desirability–feasibility–viability). The specific DFV acronym appears to be an **internal Mastercard Labs adaptation** as reported in Hill's research; it is plausible and consistent with industry practice, with no contradictory evidence.