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World Congress 2023 • Sep 21, 2023

Wardley Maps for Software Developers

Markus Harrer

Struggling to justify technical infrastructure to business stakeholders? Wardley Mapping bridges this communication gap. Visually chart your architecture to align engineering decisions with authentic business value.

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#1 about 2 min

Introduction to Wardley Maps in software architecture

Wardley Maps provide a visual framework for planning strategic evolution and modernizing older software systems.

#2 about 2 min

Origins and goals of the mapping framework

Simon Wardley designed this open-source tool to empower teams with strategic planning capabilities and reduce reliance on management consultants.

#3 about 1 min

Developer benefits and practical map use cases

Mapping helps developers translate business buzzwords, identify outsourcing opportunities, and compete strategically in the software market.

#4 about 2 min

Core structure and components of a Wardley Map

Visualizing user needs and technical components across value chains creates alignment on system boundaries and evolutionary stages.

#5 about 5 min

Building a value chain for a focused scope

Mapping specific user needs to required components prevents scope creep and clarifies dependencies within a defined system.

#6 about 5 min

Connecting infrastructure investments to business value

Bridging the gap between deep technical components like Kubernetes and direct user applications secures stakeholder support for modernization.

#7 about 4 min

The evolution axis from genesis to commodity

Software components naturally mature from novel innovations through custom builds until they become standard cloud services.

#8 about 3 min

Evaluating technical investments using strategic maps

Analyzing component maturity across the map guides informed build-versus-buy decisions and identifies necessary team training requirements.

#9 about 3 min

Applying gameplay patterns to influence tech markets

Manipulating component evolution through open approaches, strategic alliances, or signal distortion strategies helps outmaneuver competitors.

#10 about 3 min

Modernization decisions using a practical mapping example

Reverse-engineering an admin panel's value chain reveals that investing in self-healing Kubernetes clusters provides better long-term scalability.

#11 about 3 min

Best practices for scoping and applying maps

Limiting initial scope to core user needs prevents mapping paralysis and builds immediate situational awareness for architectural planning.

Matching moments

4:37 min

Unifying engineering stakeholders around a shared deployment mindmap

Pawel Piwosz · LIVE

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Aligning agile teams and stakeholders using architecture diagrams

Simon Lasselsberger · WWC 2022

2:14 min

Mapping tools along the developer experience quality spectrum

Ricky Holtz Ricky Holtz · WWC 2024

2:39 min

Harnessing data mapping tools to identify unmapped opportunities

Laura Möller Laura Möller +3 · WWC 2024

3:11 min

Guiding business stakeholders with technology radars and knowledge

Simon Müller Simon Müller · WWC 2024

1:26 min

Shifting developer paradigms from language syntax to strategic intent

Cédric Gégout Cédric Gégout +4 · WWC Europe 2026

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