Key insights from Simon Wardley's original work on strategic thinking and mapping.
Essential readings from Wardley's books on strategy and mapping
Simon Wardley explains the fundamental importance of value chains in strategic thinking and how understanding the sequence of value-creating activities is essential for effective strategy.
Chapter: Chapter 2: Value Chains
Page: 32
George Box's famous quote explains why no model perfectly represents reality. Models accelerate decision-making by simplifying complexity — but oversimplification can create risk. Wardley applies this principle to mapping: a map is never complete, yet it remains one of the most powerful strategic tools when its limits are understood.
Chapter: Chapter 1: On Being Lost
Page: 12
The Battle of Ball’s Bluff shows how poor situational awareness and vague assumptions can destroy both armies and businesses. Union generals marched troops into disaster by acting on imprecise intelligence. The lesson for leaders: without maps and clarity, projects become death on arrival.
Chapter: Chapter 1: On Being Lost
Page: 18
Simon Wardley explains the four evolution stages that all components go through, from Genesis to Commodity, and how understanding this evolution is crucial for strategic decision-making.
Chapter: Chapter 3: Evolution
Page: 45
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