And above all, don't tell anyone. I looked for a couple of early wins that would show my sponsor this could really work. The most important was when senior executives from our clients and business partners were introduced to our products and sent word that we were on a worthwhile new path. Then we started to get the breathing room we needed. Paradoxically, funding usually comes after you start.
Funding creates visibility, which leads to constraints and expectations.
Both can kill the skunk works in its infancy. That way, when I argued for more resources, anyone arguing for constraints would be arguing against a visible accomplishment. It's the only way to keep the strategic degrees of freedom you need. With an expanded resource base, you can start to go after high-quality people you couldn't previously attract or afford. You don't need many, just the right combination of competence, character and chemistry.