# The Orthogonal Edge

> Orthogonal thinking is a non-linear approach to problem-solving. It is your edge against the machine, and your competition.

- Source: https://choatecatalysts.com/canon/field-notes/the-orthogonal-edge/
- Author: Douglas Choate, Choate Catalysts (https://choatecatalysts.com/craft/douglas-choate/)
- Published: 2026-06-09
- Updated: 2026-09-07
- Category: Field Notes — The Canon (https://choatecatalysts.com/canon/)

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A recent McKinsey podcast from this year called out orthogonal thinking as one of the ways that operators can find an edge against AI.

Orthogonal thinking is taking a non-linear approach to problem-solving. It involves pulling in lived experience from different industries and creative approaches to problem solving to cultivate original, unique insights.

On the side of AI: given a large enough dataset, can AI ever think orthogonally? Or do the limits of its given dataset naturally impose restrictions that a human mind would never have?

On the side of humans: is there still room for original thought to be a source of truth?

On the side of business: strategy rarely involves a single correct answer, and sometimes there might not be any good answers at all; forcing us to navigate an uncharted path, or to take a longer-term view.

It is this crux where the human element, fraught with experience and solving problems under market pressure, and the good and the bad, can outcompete AI. Finding an edge against the machine is finding an edge against the market.