Wardley Maps - Strategic Planning for Business Evolution

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we explore Wardley Maps — a powerful visual tool for understanding how your business evolves and how your product fits in the bigger picture.

You’ll learn:

• The core elements of a Wardley Map: Value Chain → Evolution Stages (Genesis → Custom → Product → Commodity)

• How to mentally map and remember the framework so you can explain it to your team or interview panel without fumbling

• How mapping helps you spot opportunities, manage risk, and align product decisions with larger business strategy

• The connection between product positioning and strategic evolution — why companies like Slack and Netflix thrive by understanding where they play on the map

If you’ve ever wondered why some teams seem to be chasing novelty while others dominate in scale — this episode will give you the mental model to chart your own course.