Wardley Map
A Wardley Map is a strategic decision-making framework created by Simon Wardley that visualizes a value chain—encompassing users, their needs, and the capabilities to meet these needs. Components are arranged based on dependency and mapped against four stages of market evolution: Genesis, Custom, Product, and Commodity. Inspired by military strategy principles from Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Wardley Mapping helps organizations understand who benefits from their work, what those benefits are, and the system of capabilities that deliver market success. This open-source methodology enables leaders at all levels to identify strategic opportunities, avoid costly mistakes, and make better decisions through visual clarity.
The primary philosophy behind Wardley Mapping is that our decision-making improves when we have a clear understanding of:
- The beneficiaries of our work,
- The specific benefits they receive, and
- The system of capabilities that synergistically work to deliver these benefits in the market.