1. Strategy is a Cycle, Not a Linear Plan. Strategy is an iterative process of observing the landscape, orienting oneself with doctrine, deciding on a course of action, and then acting. This is based on John Boyd's OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). [1][2]
  2. All Models are Wrong, Some are Useful. This classic aphorism is one Wardley often repeats to emphasize that while Wardley Maps are powerful, they are still models of reality and not reality itself. Their value lies in their utility for discussion and decision-making. [3]
  3. The Five Factors of Strategy. Inspired by Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," Wardley identifies five key factors for successful strategy: Purpose, Landscape, Climate, Doctrine, and Leadership. [4][5]
  4. Understand Your Landscape with Maps. To make strategic decisions, you must first understand the competitive environment. Wardley argues that most businesses operate without proper maps, relying on stories and gut feelings, which is akin to navigating a physical landscape without a map. [4][6]
  5. A Map is Not a Graph. A crucial distinction is that in a map, space has meaning. In a Wardley Map, the x-axis represents evolution, and the y-axis represents the value chain. This gives context to the components being mapped, unlike a simple graph where nodes and connections are the only meaningful elements. [1][7]
  6. Anchor Your Map on User Needs. All value chains and, therefore, all Wardley Maps, must start with a clear user and their specific needs. This focus on the user is the anchor of the entire map. [8][9]
  7. Everything Evolves. A core concept is that all components on a map are subject to evolution due to supply and demand competition. They move from Genesis to Custom-Built, to Product (+rental), and finally to Commodity (+utility). [1][6]
  8. Characteristics Change with Evolution. As a component evolves, its characteristics change. What was once uncertain and rare becomes stable and common. This requires different methods for management, purchasing, and engineering at each stage. [1]
  9. There is No "Core" Business. Companies often talk about their "core" business, but Wardley argues that this is a fallacy. Due to evolution, what is core today may be a commodity tomorrow. A company's purpose may change over time, just as Nokia evolved from a paper mill to a telecommunications giant. [6][10]
  10. Past Success Breeds Inertia. Successful business models from the past can create inertia that prevents a company from adapting to change. Blockbuster, for example, was hindered by its successful late-fee model from embracing streaming, even though they were early innovators in the space. [1][6]
  11. Doctrine Provides Universally Applicable Principles. Doctrine consists of the basic, universally useful principles of organization and strategy, regardless of the context. Examples include "know your users," "use a common language," and "challenge assumptions." [2][9]
  12. Use Appropriate Methods. Different stages of evolution require different methodologies. Agile methods are well-suited for the chaotic, uncertain world of Genesis, while Six Sigma and waterfall models are more appropriate for the industrialized, commodity stage. [1]
  13. Think Small and in Incremental Steps. Especially in the uncharted territory of Genesis, it's crucial to take small, iterative steps to learn and adapt quickly.
  14. Co-evolution of Practice. As components evolve, so too must the practices associated with them. The advent of cloud computing (a utility) enabled the co-evolution of practices like DevOps. [1]
  15. Strategy is About "Why," But in Two Forms. There is the "why" of purpose (your ultimate goal) and the "why" of movement (why you are making a specific move over another). The "why" of movement is critical for learning and adapting your strategy. [10]
  16. Situational Awareness is Key. The primary goal of Wardley Mapping is to improve situational awareness for everyone in the organization, leading to better-informed decisions. [6][11]
  17. Maps Facilitate Collaboration and Communication. Wardley Maps provide a common language and visual representation that allows diverse teams—from engineering to marketing to leadership—to have meaningful conversations about strategy. [12]
  18. Anticipate Change by Understanding Climatic Patterns. Climate refers to the external forces that affect the landscape over which you have no direct control. These are the rules of the game that you can learn to anticipate. [4][6]
  19. Gameplay is Context-Specific. Unlike doctrine, gameplay refers to context-specific strategies and moves you can make to influence the landscape to your advantage. Open-sourcing a component is a classic example of gameplay. [1]
  20. Organize Teams by Aptitude and Attitude (Pioneers, Settlers, and Town Planners). Wardley suggests structuring teams based on the stage of evolution they are best suited to work on. Pioneers excel in the uncertain world of Genesis, Settlers are great at turning prototypes into stable products, and Town Planners are skilled at industrializing products into commodities. [2]
  21. Share and Challenge Assumptions. Maps are models and inherently contain assumptions. By sharing them, you invite others to challenge those assumptions, which is a critical part of the learning process and refining the map. [13]
  22. The Importance of Pre-mortem and Post-mortem Analysis. Before undertaking a project, map the landscape to anticipate challenges (pre-mortem). Afterward, review what happened against the map to learn and discover new patterns (post-mortem). [1]
  23. Efficiency Can Be a Trap. Focusing on making the wrong thing more efficient is a common mistake for organizations with low situational awareness. It's more important to focus on the evolutionary flow and adapt to what's coming. [6]
  24. Bias Towards Openness. Sharing maps and data openly within an organization helps to break down silos, improve learning, and foster a culture of transparency. [9]
  25. Leadership is About Deciding Where to Act. With a map, leadership's role becomes clearer: to decide where on the map to attack, where to invest, and what moves to make based on an understanding of the landscape. [2][6]

Top Quotes from Simon Wardley

These quotes capture the essence of Simon Wardley's philosophy on strategy and business.

  1. "Strategy is the art of manipulating an environment to gain a desirable outcome." [14]
  2. "The first thing required to get out of [a] situation is a map." [4]
  3. "In a map, the space itself has meaning, whereas in a graph the meaning is all in the nodes and the connections between nodes." [1]
  4. "Can you imagine a General going to war without a map... but instead using a SWOT? Well, that's how many businesses still operate nowadays." [6]
  5. "Remember, all models are wrong but some are useful." [3]
  6. "It's worth remembering that one of your actions maybe to change direction of the company itself, to alter your very purpose." [10]
  7. "There is no “core” to a company beyond short term immediate focus."
  8. " [10]When we make and discuss Wardley Maps, we can steer clear of unforced errors and bring a nuanced understanding to bold new opportunities." [5]
  9. "If you're doing a startup this might save you a year of thrashing around blindly." [12]
  10. "Once you practice this technique, you think about things differently." [12]
  11. "The act of sharing is essential because it helps us to learn." [9]
  12. "Transparency also requires us to remove all the noise, the pointless gibberish that gets in the way of learning." [9]
  13. "Those unwilling to learn will be guided to new jobs." [9]
  14. "Focus on awareness to improve performance." [9]
  15. "Governance must be entirely transparent, publishing proposals openly to foster internal and external examination and interaction, avoiding secretive map-building." [9]
  16. "The problem with most businesses is that they lack situational awareness, so they operate only based on purpose and gut feeling." [6]
  17. "Anticipation is key to an effective strategy." [6]
  18. "It's also a model, it's going to be wrong. So that's great, what you do is you share it with someone else and allow them to look at your assumptions and challenge what you're doing." [13]
  19. "When we talk about evolution, we talk about the genesis of the novel and new, then those things evolve to become custom-built examples, then products and rental services and eventually commodity and utility services.” [13]
  20. "In strategy, you can't hide behind buzzwords or vague statements anymore." [16]
  21. "The big problem with investment turns out to be where you make the most money is not necessarily where you need to focus in order to fix the problems." [7]
  22. "Whenever you're mapping and mapping a space out, really think about what your purpose is." [7]

Sources and Links:

Learn more:

  1. Simon Wardley: An Introduction to Wardley Mapping - YouTube
  2. Simon Wardley: Maps - Tech Blog
  3. Wardley Maps - Coach agile
  4. What I learned from Simon Wardley's Book (Part 1) | by Dana Levine | Geek Culture
  5. Introduction - Learn Wardley Mapping
  6. Introduction to Wardley Maps - Aktia Solutions
  7. Simon Wardley - X marks the spot - YouTube
  8. Wardley map - Wikipedia
  9. Doctrine | Wardley Maps
  10. How to master strategy, as simply as I can … by Simon Wardley - Digital Transformation
  11. How to use Wardley Mapping to understand how you deliver customer value - Medium
  12. Learn Wardley Mapping
  13. Simon Wardley on Improving Business With Maps - Semaphore
  14. Quotes by Simon Wardley (Author of Wardley Maps) - Goodreads
  15. The Book - Learn Wardley Mapping
  16. Simon Wardley, / Rosenverse profile
  17. Simon Wardley
  18. Read the Book | Wardley Maps