[Me & X] The evolution axis
X : What is the evolution axis in a Wardley map based on?
Me : Hell. More precisely, about 6 months of dawn to midnight work, collecting and analysing 9,221 publications, numerous dead ends, failures, several meltdowns, "oh, my god, what am I doing with my life" moments, burning through what little savings I had, endless beans on toast, many hours of staring blankly at data going "I should stop" plus a lot of luck.
You have no idea how many failures I had and how many times I almost stopped. All of that was to create one graph which became the axis of a Wardley map.
X : Was it worth it?
Me : At the time, it still took several more years before I really became confident with mapping as something useful. There were a handful of others but they were far and few between. So, I was unsure.
X : Now?
Me : I've found it useful. It has stood up well for the last 20 years. Would I put myself through it again? Today? That's a tough one. I suppose I would say that nothing that is worth having is ever easy.
X : Are you confident that your maps are right then?
Me : I can tell you now that they are not. All maps are imperfect representations, have constraints and impose a perspective. These are common limitations of mapping whether territorial or other landscapes. It's a given that someone will make a better way of mapping. All I did was help open a door but that's worth it.
X : I have this idea for a better map. Can I show you?
Me : I'd rather not. You're at the beginning of your journey. Go through your own hell and prove to yourself that the idea might have merit. Don't drag me along with you. Show me when you escape.
X : But my idea is obvious.
Me : That's what I once thought. I rarely use those words anymore.
Originally published on LinkedIn.