wardley-mapping

name	wardley-mapping
description	Creates strategic Wardley Maps showing value chains and component evolution. Use when analyzing business strategy, technology decisions, competitive positioning, or when user mentions value chains, evolution, strategic mapping, competitive landscape, or asks about "where to play" or "how to win".

Wardley Mapping

Create strategic maps that visualize value chains and component evolution to inform strategic decisions.

What is a Wardley Map?

A Wardley Map is a visual representation of:

• Value chain: Components needed to serve user needs (Y-axis: visibility to user)
• Evolution: Maturity stage of each component (X-axis: genesis to commodity)
• Dependencies: How components rely on each other
• Movement: How components will evolve over time

Key insight: Understanding where components are in their evolution helps identify strategic opportunities and risks.

The Two Axes

Y-Axis: Value Chain Position (Visibility)

Components are positioned from top to bottom based on visibility to the end user:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Visible to User (Top)               │
│  - User needs                       │
│  - User-facing features             │
│                                     │
│ Middle                              │
│  - Supporting services              │
│  - Internal capabilities            │
│                                     │
│ Invisible to User (Bottom)          │
│  - Infrastructure                   │
│  - Core dependencies               │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Positioning rule: If Component A depends on Component B, then A is positioned above B.

X-Axis: Evolution Stage

Components evolve through four stages from left to right:

Genesis → Custom-Built → Product (+rental) → Commodity (+utility)
  I            II              III                  IV

Stage I - Genesis (0.0 - 0.25):

• Novel, never done before
• Poorly understood
• Chaotic, unpredictable
• Requires exploration and experimentation
• High failure rate
• Competitive advantage through innovation

Stage II - Custom-Built (0.25 - 0.50):

• Understood by specialists
• Bespoke solutions
• Competitive advantage through features
• Requires skilled practitioners
• Significant learning curve
• Examples: Custom software, artisanal processes

Stage III - Product (+rental) (0.50 - 0.75):

• Well understood, common patterns
• Off-the-shelf solutions with variations
• Competitive advantage through operational efficiency
• Feature differentiation
• Rental/service models emerge
• Examples: SaaS products, standardized frameworks

Stage IV - Commodity (+utility) (0.75 - 1.0):

• Ubiquitous, standardized
• Good enough, volume operations
• Competitive advantage through cost
• Utility/on-demand consumption
• Examples: Electricity, cloud compute, standard APIs

Creating a Wardley Map: Step-by-Step

Use this workflow when creating a map:

Mapping Checklist:
- [ ] Step 1: Identify user needs (anchor)
- [ ] Step 2: List value chain components
- [ ] Step 3: Position components on Y-axis (dependencies)
- [ ] Step 4: Position components on X-axis (evolution)
- [ ] Step 5: Draw dependency links
- [ ] Step 6: Add movement (evolution direction)
- [ ] Step 7: Identify strategic opportunities
- [ ] Step 8: Document key insights

Step 1: Identify User Needs (Anchor)

Start with the user need at the top of the map.

Questions to ask:

• Who is the user?
• What do they need?
• What problem are we solving?

Example: "Online shoppers need to purchase products quickly and securely"

Step 2: List Value Chain Components

Identify all components needed to fulfill the user need.

Component types:

• Activities (things you do)
• Practices (how you do things)
• Data (information you use)
• Knowledge (expertise required)
• Infrastructure (systems and platforms)

Technique: Ask "What do we need to provide this?" repeatedly, drilling down through dependencies.

Step 3: Position on Y-Axis (Visibility)

Arrange components vertically based on:

• User needs at the top
• Components closer to users higher up
• Supporting components below
• Infrastructure at the bottom

Dependency rule: If A needs B, place A above B.

Step 4: Position on X-Axis (Evolution)

Determine evolution stage for each component:

Assessment questions:

• How well understood is this?
• How many providers offer this?
• How standardized is it?
• Is it custom-built or commodity?
• What's the competitive differentiation?

Use the evolution characteristics in EVOLUTION.md for detailed guidance.

Step 5: Draw Dependencies

Connect components with lines showing dependencies (arrows pointing downward).

Step 6: Add Movement Indicators

Show expected evolution with arrows pointing right.

Movement questions:

• Is this component becoming more standardized?
• Are competitors commoditizing this?
• Is this moving from product to utility?

Step 7: Identify Strategic Opportunities

Look for patterns and strategic plays. See PATTERNS.md for common patterns.

Step 8: Document Insights

Capture strategic observations:

• What's evolving?
• Where are opportunities?
• What are the risks?
• What should we build vs. buy?

Map Notation (Text Format)

When creating maps in text format, use this notation:

[Component Name] (Y-position, X-position, Evolution Stage)

Example:
User Need (0.95, visible)
  ├─> Web Application (0.75, 0.60, Product)
  │    ├─> Authentication (0.55, 0.80, Commodity)
  │    ├─> Payment Processing (0.50, 0.75, Product/Commodity)
  │    └─> Product Database (0.45, 0.70, Product)
  └─> Recommendation Engine (0.65, 0.35, Custom)
       └─> ML Models (0.40, 0.40, Custom/Product)

Or in table format:

| Component | Visibility | Evolution | Stage | Dependencies |
|-----------|------------|-----------|-------|--------------|
| User Need | High | - | - | - |
| Web App | High | 0.60 | Product | Auth, Payment, DB |
| Authentication | Medium | 0.80 | Commodity | - |
| Payment | Medium | 0.75 | Product | - |

Strategic Analysis Framework

Once you have a map, analyze it using these lenses:

1. Build vs. Buy Decisions

Genesis/Custom → Build (competitive differentiation) Product/Commodity → Buy (efficiency, focus)

Red flag: Building custom solutions for commodity components (waste). Opportunity: Buying/renting for non-differentiating components (efficiency).

2. Evolution Pressure

Components under evolution pressure:

• Multiple providers emerging
• Standardization increasing
• Best practices becoming established
• Moving from left to right on the map

Strategic question: Should we accelerate or resist this evolution?

3. Inertia Detection

Inertia indicators:

• Treating evolved components as if they're still custom
• Over-investing in commodity components
• Organizational resistance to using utilities
• "We've always done it this way"

Strategic action: Identify and address sources of inertia.

4. Opportunity Identification

See PATTERNS.md for detailed strategic patterns.

Quick patterns:

• Industrialization: Commoditize custom components (create economies of scale)
• Co-evolution: When A evolves, B must evolve with it
• Componentization: Break monoliths into evolvable parts
• Ecosystem play: Build platforms on commodities
• Future position: Move to where the market will be, not where it is

Common Mapping Scenarios

Technology Stack Decision

Map to create:

• User need at top
• Application components
• Supporting services
• Infrastructure at bottom

Key questions:

• What should we build custom?
• What should we buy/rent?
• Where are we over-engineering?
• What's becoming commoditized?

Competitive Analysis

Map both your position and competitors:

• Overlay maps to compare
• Identify where they're ahead/behind
• Spot opportunities they're missing

Strategic insights:

• Where can we leapfrog?
• What are they investing in that's commoditizing?
• Where are we differentiated?

Product Strategy

Map current state and future state:

• Show component evolution
• Identify what will commoditize
• Plan where to invest

Strategic questions:

• Where will value move as things evolve?
• What should we stop investing in?
• What's our sustainable differentiation?

Organizational Change

Map capabilities and practices:

• Current organizational structure
• Dependencies between teams
• Shared services and platforms

Identify:

• Duplication across teams
• Opportunities to centralize/share
• Where to create platforms

Evolution Indicators

Quick reference for positioning components on the evolution axis:

Stage	Genesis	Custom	Product	Commodity
Ubiquity	Rare	Slowly increasing	Rapidly increasing	Widespread
Certainty	Poorly understood	Emerging	Convergence	Stable/Accepted
Market	Chaotic	Competitive	Differentiated	Cost-based
User Perception	Different/Exciting	Useful	Expected	Essential/Boring
Failure	High	Moderate	Lower	Minimal

For detailed characteristics, see EVOLUTION.md.

Key Principles

Situational Awareness

Before making strategic decisions:

• Map the landscape
• Understand position and movement
• Identify dependencies and constraints

Avoid: Strategy without situational awareness.

Movement First

Focus on evolution and change:

• Static positions matter less than movement
• Anticipate future states
• Position for where things are going

Context-Specific Strategy

No universal best practices:

• Genesis components need different approach than commodities
• One-size-fits-all strategies fail
• Adapt methods to evolution stage

Bias to Action

Maps are tools for decision-making:

• Create maps quickly (imperfect is fine)
• Use maps to drive conversations
• Iterate and refine based on learning

Avoid: Analysis paralysis, perfect maps.

Wardley Mapping Workflow Template

When guiding someone through mapping, use this template:

# Wardley Map: [Topic/System Name]

## User Need
[Describe the user and their primary need]

## Components Identified
[List all components in the value chain]

## Map

[Create visual or text representation of the map]

## Key Observations

**Evolution Pressure:**
- [Components under evolution pressure]

**Build vs. Buy:**
- Build: [Components to build custom]
- Buy/Rent: [Components to acquire]

**Strategic Opportunities:**
- [Opportunity 1]
- [Opportunity 2]

**Risks/Inertia:**
- [Risk or inertia point 1]

## Recommended Actions
1. [Action based on map analysis]
2. [Action based on map analysis]

## Next Steps
[What to map next, or how to validate assumptions]

Common Mistakes

Over-precision: Maps are imperfect, focus on usefulness not accuracy.

Mapping in isolation: Involve stakeholders, mapping is a team activity.

Static maps: Maps should show movement and evolution, not just current state.

Ignoring users: Always anchor on user needs, not internal organization.

Analysis without action: Maps inform decisions, not replace them.

Single map syndrome: Create multiple maps for different scenarios and viewpoints.

Quick Reference Questions

For any component:

1. Where is this on the evolution axis? (Genesis → Commodity)
2. What depends on this? (Position higher components above)
3. What does this depend on? (Position lower components below)
4. How is this evolving? (Movement direction)
5. Should we build or buy this? (Evolution stage informs decision)
6. What's our competitive advantage here? (Custom vs. commodity)

For the overall map:

1. What's evolving fastest?
2. Where are we over-investing in commodities?
3. Where are we under-investing in differentiation?
4. What will the map look like in 2-3 years?
5. What strategic plays should we make?

Further Resources

Understanding evolution: See EVOLUTION.md Strategic patterns: See PATTERNS.md

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Remember: The purpose of mapping is situational awareness to inform better strategic decisions. Start simple, iterate, and focus on what drives action.