Part of the 4+2 Pipeline Thrust Matrix (formerly the 4+2 Growth Matrix). The canonical source is the white paper; the name change is explained in why the name moved.
Teams often ask whether the 4+2 Pipeline Thrust Matrix (the 4+2) replaces the marketing or sales funnel. It does not. The funnel describes how buyers move. The 4+2 organises the work that moves them, against a sales target, and continues after the sale.
What the funnel is good at
A funnel (awareness to interest to consideration to decision, or a B2B variant with MQL/SQL stages) gives a shared picture of stage flow and conversion rates. It is familiar in board packs. It helps spot where volume drops between stages.
Modern demand waterfalls improve on classic lead funnels by focusing on buying groups and opportunities (for example Forrester's B2B Revenue Waterfall) but they remain flow models: they measure how demand converts.
What the funnel does not do
The funnel does not, by itself:
- Start from enterprise goal and sales target and force marketing initiatives onto that cascade.
- Separate out-of-market preference work (Demand Creation) from in-market Capture as structural pillars.
- Give a sector × buyer-type planning grid with one home per initiative.
- Place run-state versus build work (pillar vs +1 vs +2).
- Own post-sale retention and expansion as a first-class marketing planning pillar with a feedback loop into Creation.
Funnels also tempt teams to treat stage counts (especially MQLs) as results. In the 4+2, clicks and MQLs are inputs; the North Star is sourced plus influenced pipeline, reported separately.
Side-by-side
| Lens | Funnel / waterfall | 4+2 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary question | How does demand flow and convert? | What should marketing fund, own and measure this quarter against the sales target? |
| Unit of planning | Stages and conversion | Initiatives in pillar/foundation cells |
| Creation vs Capture | Often merged as "demand gen" | Separate pillars (95-5 logic) |
| After the sale | Often weak or separate CS funnel | Retention & Expansion pillar |
| Operations | Sometimes a footnote | +1 and +2 foundations under every pillar |
| Relationship | Measures flow | Plans and funds the work that moves flow |
How to use them together
- Use the waterfall or funnel report to see where flow breaks.
- Use the 4+2 to decide what to fund: Capture scoring and SLA, Creation preference, Acceleration consensus, Retention renewals, or foundation drag fixes.
- Map waterfall stages roughly to pillars (out-of-market to Creation; in-market opportunity create to Capture; stage progression to Acceleration; renewals/expansion to Retention; definitions/reporting to +1; conversion-lifting builds to +2).
If conversion from engaged to qualified is the leak, the 4+2 response is not automatically "buy more media". It is: is Capture fit for purpose, or is Creation sending the wrong accounts?
When the funnel is enough
Low-ticket, self-serve or simple inside-sales motions may not need the 4+2 grid. The white paper scopes the 4+2 for high-ticket, sales-led B2B with buying groups and long cycles. Do not force the framework where a clean funnel already matches how you sell.
Bottom line
The funnel is a map of the river. The 4+2 is the plan for which dams, pumps and maintenance crews you fund. Keep both. Confuse them, and you will optimise stage cosmetics while the initiative portfolio stays disconnected from the revenue plan.
Sources
Patel, P. (2026). The 4+2 Pipeline Thrust Matrix. https://prinkit.com/white-paper/4-plus-2-pipeline-thrust-matrix Forrester (4 May 2021). B2B Revenue Waterfall. https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-debuts-next-generation-b2b-revenue-waterfall-to-help-firms-accelerate-revenue-growth/ Lillian, J. (17 May 2017). SiriusDecisions Demand Unit Waterfall. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/meetthenewestsiriusdecisionsdemandwaterfall/