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It may be an unpopular opinion, but I have yet to see a Wardley map that doesn't look like incomprehensible gibberish. I think describing these as 'maps' is bit

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I have yet to see a Wardley map that doesn't look like incomprehensible gibberish. I think describing these as 'maps' is bit of a misnomer, I generally view a map as something that a layperson can understand (with some exceptions, etc aviation maps are mind-boggling). I'm open to someone changing my mind though, since I feel like I am missing out on something!

abiro 7y ago
They are called maps, because Wardley maps are visual and context specific, and represent position and movement. Reading any kind of map takes practice, but Wardley maps well worth the investment imo. Also mapping is an iterative process, maps should be continually challenged which is a lot of work, but the alternative is relying on stories and recipes of success which is not a great way to do business, especially once your competitors start mapping (if you’re wondering about the continued success of Amazon and Microsoft, they map). For a soft intro, I recommend this talk by Simon Wardley: https://youtu.be/2IW9L1uNMCs https://youtu.be/2IW9L1uNMCs And then reading the first few chapters from his book: https://github.com/andrewharmellaw/wardley-maps-book https://github.com/andrewharmellaw/wardley-maps-book I also found this paid mapping course by Chris Daniel great to practice the basics: https://learn.leadingedgeforum.com/p/wardley-mapping https://learn.leadingedgeforum.com/p/wardley-mapping (I have no affiliation with them)
pryelluw 7y ago
I also had a period of time where it all seemed like gibberish. What changed was a chat with Alexander Simovic (mapping expert). He laid out the following learning path (which worked excellent): 1. Read the book 2. Map your own systems (from work, startup, or open source). 3. Share your maps with others and get feedback (I can certainly introduce you to others if you email me).
- mhuffman 7y ago
  Read what book?
  - googamooga 7y ago
    It is mentioned in the post: https://medium.com/wardleymaps https://medium.com/wardleymaps
  - pryelluw 7y ago
    Direct link to 1st chapter: https://medium.com/wardleymaps/on-being-lost-2ef5f05eb1ec https://medium.com/wardleymaps/on-being-lost-2ef5f05eb1ec
antpls 7y ago
To add an anecdote to your anecdote : It was the first time I read about Wardley map with this article, and I found them obvious to understand after looking at the ~3 examples provided. It does a good job at organizing information. However it seems a map can quickly become irrelevant, given how fast the world is changing.
Lordarminius 7y ago
It is not an unpopular opinion :) But I guess it takes some study to decipher and extract value from them.

abiro 7y ago

They are called maps, because Wardley maps are visual and context specific, and represent position and movement. Reading any kind of map takes practice, but Wardley maps well worth the investment imo. Also mapping is an iterative process, maps should be continually challenged which is a lot of work, but the alternative is relying on stories and recipes of success which is not a great way to do business, especially once your competitors start mapping (if you’re wondering about the continued success of Amazon and Microsoft, they map). For a soft intro, I recommend this talk by Simon Wardley: https://youtu.be/2IW9L1uNMCs https://youtu.be/2IW9L1uNMCs And then reading the first few chapters from his book: https://github.com/andrewharmellaw/wardley-maps-book https://github.com/andrewharmellaw/wardley-maps-book I also found this paid mapping course by Chris Daniel great to practice the basics: https://learn.leadingedgeforum.com/p/wardley-mapping https://learn.leadingedgeforum.com/p/wardley-mapping (I have no affiliation with them)

pryelluw 7y ago

I also had a period of time where it all seemed like gibberish. What changed was a chat with Alexander Simovic (mapping expert). He laid out the following learning path (which worked excellent): 1. Read the book 2. Map your own systems (from work, startup, or open source). 3. Share your maps with others and get feedback (I can certainly introduce you to others if you email me).

mhuffman 7y ago
Read what book?
- googamooga 7y ago
  It is mentioned in the post: https://medium.com/wardleymaps https://medium.com/wardleymaps
- pryelluw 7y ago
  Direct link to 1st chapter: https://medium.com/wardleymaps/on-being-lost-2ef5f05eb1ec https://medium.com/wardleymaps/on-being-lost-2ef5f05eb1ec

antpls 7y ago

To add an anecdote to your anecdote : It was the first time I read about Wardley map with this article, and I found them obvious to understand after looking at the ~3 examples provided. It does a good job at organizing information. However it seems a map can quickly become irrelevant, given how fast the world is changing.

Lordarminius 7y ago

It is not an unpopular opinion :) But I guess it takes some study to decipher and extract value from them.