Serverless Craic Ep59 How to Wardley Map

Serverless Craic from The Serverless Edge

Wardley mapping is a strategic tool to visualise the evolution of products or services.
The two axes of a Wardley Map are visibility and evolutionary stage.
Products and technologies evolve through four stages:

1. Genesis,
2. Custom build,
3. Product or rental, and
4. Commodity or utility.

Understanding context and phase of adoption is crucial in the business world, especially with AI and LLMs.
Identifying and moving commodities versus custom-built solutions is important, and optimizing organizational structure for autonomy involves concepts like movement, time planning, and sub-maps. We explain the anatomy of a Wardley map, starting with the anchor (customer) and emphasising the importance of understanding the map's axis and how space and position have meaning.
Evolution of technology from Genesis to Commodity, with stages of Custom Build and Product.
Product evolution from Genesis to Custom, Commodity, and ubiquity, tailored to specific contexts.
We explain the evolution of products through usage and competition and product evolution is context-dependent.
Leveraging AI and LLMs in business contexts.
We highlight the varying perceptions of LLM and Gen AI across different contexts and note that DBT is marketed as a product or consumer depending on the context. We discuss the importance of understanding user needs and dependencies in designing a successful product.
Mapping components to move from custom-built to commodity products.
We look at the importance of mapping components to move a business forward and identify inertia as a challenge in moving components, and discuss ways to overcome it.
The conversation highlights the importance of leveraging commodities and building a database in 2024. We discuss the evolution of AI, from its early stages to its current utility, and the importance of having the right team types, including explorers, settlers, and time planners. We emphasise the need for all three team types, as each one plays a crucial role in the AI development process, and spikes in team performance can be identified and addressed accordingly.
Mapping for autonomous organisations, including optimisation, movement, and sub-maps.
We look at the importance of optimising for movement in engineering teams, with different strategies for 'pioneers', 'settlers', and 'villagers'. And the need for organisation-wide alignment and the use of mixed methods within Wardley Mapping, with a focus on stacking boxes when necessary.
We look at the importance of mapping in software development, highlighting different types of maps and their uses.
And we provide tips for creating effective maps, including using sub-maps for detailed areas and avoiding too many components on the map.
Wardley Mapping Resources: Ben Mosior and https://learnwardleymapping.com/

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