Fidelity is the granularity of a strategy model combined with the depth and rigor of the evidence behind it. It increases across the pipeline: Low Fidelity (LoFi) at the earliest stage, Mid Fidelity (MidFi) at the next, and High Fidelity (HiFi) at the later stages. The principle is that the same fundamental discipline applies at every stage — what scales is the depth, breadth, and evidence rigor expected, matched to the size of the investment decision at the next gate.
Fidelity is what makes staged investment work: early stages ask for a coarse model that confirms an opportunity is worth pursuing; later stages demand a detailed, well-evidenced model to support a larger commitment. It calibrates how much depth a jobs-to-be-done analysis, a financial model, or an evaluation needs at each point. For the full treatment, see the Innovation Methodology pillar at /supporting/methodology. Related Terminology Index entries: Staging; Stage; Stage Gate; Evidence Level; Evaluation Criteria Framework.
