Wardley Mapping

Visualize your value chain and make strategic decisions. Source: Simon Wardley.

Mapping Process

1. Identify the User

Who is the map for? What scope?

2. Identify User Needs

What does the user need? Place at the top of the map (most visible).

3. Map the Value Chain

What components are needed to serve those needs? Draw dependency lines top-down.

4. Assess Evolution Stage

For each component:

Stage	Characteristics	Strategy
Genesis	Novel, uncertain, high failure rate	Explore, experiment, small teams
Custom	Better understood, bespoke builds	Build or partner, reduce uncertainty
Product	Standardized, feature competition	Buy or build competitively
Commodity	Utility, cost competition	Consume as service, don't differentiate here

5. Add Movement

Mark components that are evolving (arrow pointing right). All components evolve over time.

6. Identify Patterns

• Components in Genesis = Complex domain (Cynefin) -> probe
• Components in Commodity = Clear domain -> best practice
• Evolution mismatch = waste (building custom what you should buy as commodity)

7. Apply Gameplay

Strategic options based on the map:

• Open source: Accelerate commoditization
• ILC: Innovate -> Leverage -> Commoditize
• Ecosystem: Build platform, commoditize lower layers
• Tower and moat: Invest in defensibility

Output

Update canvas/landscape.yml with components, evolution stages, movements, and gameplay options.

Connection to Other Frameworks

• Evolution stage maps to Cynefin domain (use

  /cynefin-classify

  )
• User needs at top map to OST outcomes (use

  /ost-builder

  )
• Strategic gameplay informs GIST goals (use

  /gist-plan

  )