Stratrix

Quick reference

Memory aid

Map user needs → components → evolution stage. Build what's novel, buy what's commodity.

TL;DR

Map all components needed to serve a user need, arranged by visibility (top to bottom) and evolution (genesis to commodity). Identify strategic moves: build novel components, outsource commodities, anticipate evolution-driven disruption.

What Is Wardley Mapping?

A Wardley Map is like a geographical map for your business. It shows all the components needed to serve your users, arranged from visible (user-facing) at the top to invisible (infrastructure) at the bottom, and from new/uncertain (left) to mature/commodity (right). This reveals where to invest, what to outsource, and where disruption will come from.

Wardley Maps use two axes: the vertical axis represents the value chain (user needs at top, underlying components below), and the horizontal axis represents evolution (Genesis → Custom → Product → Commodity). Every component moves from left to right over time — today's innovation becomes tomorrow's commodity. By mapping components and their evolutionary stage, leaders can anticipate market movements, identify strategic plays (e.g., commoditize a competitor's value proposition), and make build-vs-buy decisions based on evolutionary position.

Wardley Map Structure

A map with user needs at the top (visibility), components arranged by value chain (vertical) and evolution stage (horizontal: Genesis → Custom → Product → Commodity).

A map with user needs at the top (visibility), components arranged by value chain (vertical) and evolution stage (horizontal: Genesis → Custom → Product → Commodity).

Origin & context

Developed by Simon Wardley while he was CEO of Fotango (a Canon subsidiary). Frustrated by the lack of situational awareness in business strategy, he created Wardley Maps inspired by military mapping and Sun Tzu's principles.

Core Components

1

User Needs

The anchor point at the top of the map — what the user actually needs.

Example

For an e-commerce business: 'Buy products conveniently and receive them quickly.'

2

Components

Everything needed to fulfill the user need — activities, practices, data, and knowledge.

Example

Website, payment processing, inventory management, logistics, customer support.

3

Evolution Axis

The stage of maturity for each component: Genesis (novel), Custom (bespoke), Product (standardized), Commodity (utility).

Example

Computing infrastructure moved from Product (servers bought and racked) to Commodity (utility compute) when services such as AWS EC2 launched in 2006.

4

Movement

All components evolve from left (genesis) to right (commodity) over time due to supply and demand competition.

Example

Computing: early one-off machines (genesis) → custom-built systems → standardized servers (product) → utility cloud compute (commodity).

Did You Know?

Simon Wardley developed Wardley Mapping in 2005 while CEO of Fotango, a Canon-owned online photo services company, because the strategy tools he had did not show the landscape or how it changes over time. He has shared the method openly, including a free, Creative Commons-licensed book, which helped it spread from the grassroots across government and enterprise.

When to Use Wardley Mapping

Scenario 1

Technology strategy and build-vs-buy decisions

Problem it solves: Reveals which components to build (novel/differentiated) and which to buy/use commodity (mature).

Real-world application

Mapping an application architecture reveals that the team is building a custom authentication system (evolved to commodity). Switching to Auth0 frees engineering to focus on genesis-stage components that differentiate.

Scenario 2

Anticipating market disruption

Problem it solves: Shows where component evolution will create disruption opportunities.

Real-world application

Mapping the automotive industry in 2015 would show 'powertrain' evolving from combustion (product) toward electric (product/commodity), signaling the disruption Tesla was driving.

The most powerful strategic move on a Wardley Map is 'industrialization' — taking a component that competitors treat as custom and turning it into a commodity, which shifts the competitive landscape in your favor. AWS did this with cloud infrastructure.

How to Apply Wardley Mapping: Step by Step

Before you start

  • →Understanding of your users and their needs
  • →Knowledge of your value chain components
  • →Awareness of component evolution stages
Tools:Wardley mapping tool (online or paper)Value chain knowledgeTechnology landscape awareness
1

Identify User Needs

Start with the user and their needs — anchor the top of the map.

Tips

  • ✓Be specific about the user and the need

Common mistakes

  • ✗Starting with technology instead of user needs
2

Map the Value Chain

List all components needed to serve the user need and arrange by visibility.

Tips

  • ✓Include activities, data, knowledge, and practices — not just technology

Common mistakes

  • ✗Only mapping technical components
3

Assess Evolution

Place each component along the evolution axis based on its maturity.

Tips

  • ✓Use characteristics (ubiquity, certainty, publication of best practices) to assess stage

Common mistakes

  • ✗Confusing age with evolution — old components can still be custom
4

Identify Strategic Moves

Look for opportunities: components to industrialize, areas to invest, threats from evolution.

Tips

  • ✓Ask: 'What happens when this component evolves to the next stage?'

Common mistakes

  • ✗Creating the map but not using it for strategic decisions

Value & Outcomes

Primary benefit

Provides situational awareness for strategic decisions by visualizing the landscape of components and their evolution.

Additional benefits

  • ✓Reveals build-vs-buy decisions based on component maturity
  • ✓Anticipates market disruption by tracking evolution

What you'll learn

  • →How to map and visualize your strategic landscape
  • →How component evolution drives market dynamics

Typical outcomes

A visual map of your strategic landscapeClear build-vs-buy recommendationsIdentification of disruption risks and opportunities

Best Practices

📋 Preparation

  • •Start with user needs, not technology
  • •Gather input from across the organization

🚀 Execution

  • •Map the current state honestly
  • •Don't over-engineer the first map — it's a tool for thinking

🔄 Follow-Up

  • •Update maps as components evolve
  • •Use maps in strategic planning conversations

💎 Pro Tips

  • •The map is a conversation tool, not a finished diagram. Its value is in the strategic thinking it provokes.
Wardley Mapping in UK Government

Wardley Mapping has been used across UK government to decide where to build, buy or share technology. The Department for Transport and High Speed Two used maps to set technology strategy, and local government guidance uses them to help councils decide whether to build, buy or share digital solutions.

Limitations & Pitfalls

⚡

Subjective — evolution positioning requires judgment

Mitigation: Use team consensus and evolution characteristics to guide placement

⚡

Steep learning curve for first-time mappers

Mitigation: Start with simple maps and iterate as understanding grows

Where this comes fromSimon Wardley introduced this (2005).

More Management Frameworks

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Kanban

A visual workflow management method that uses boards, cards, and work-in-progress limits to optimize the flow of work through a system, enabling teams to deliver continuously without the structure of fixed-length sprints.

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RACI Matrix

A responsibility assignment tool that clarifies roles for every task or decision by defining who is Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome), Consulted (provides input), and Informed (kept in the loop).

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Lean Startup

An entrepreneurial methodology that uses a Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop, minimum viable products (MVPs), and validated learning to rapidly test business hypotheses and reduce the risk of building products nobody wants.

Project & Product Management

PRINCE2

A structured project management methodology that divides projects into manageable stages with defined roles, processes, and controls, providing clear governance and accountability for project delivery.

Project & Product Management

PDCA Cycle

A four-step iterative management method for continuous improvement: Plan the change, Do (implement) it on a small scale, Check the results, and Act to standardize or adjust.

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