Strategic Plays Skill

Identify strategic options and gameplay patterns from Wardley Maps for competitive advantage.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Strategic Plays tasks - Working on identify strategic options and gameplay patterns from wardley maps

• Planning or design - Need guidance on Strategic Plays approaches

• Best practices - Want to follow established patterns and standards

MANDATORY: Documentation-First Approach

Before identifying strategic plays:

• Invoke docs-management skill for strategic patterns

• Verify Wardley gameplay via MCP servers (perplexity)

• Base guidance on Simon Wardley's gameplays catalog

Strategic Play Categories

Wardley's Gameplay Categories:

USER PERCEPTION PLAYS ├── Education ├── Lobbying ├── Marketing └── Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD)

ACCELERATOR PLAYS ├── Open Approaches ├── Exploiting Network Effects ├── Standards Game └── Industrialization

DEACCELERATOR PLAYS ├── Creating Artificial Constraints ├── Exploiting IPR ├── Slowing Evolution └── Raising Barriers

MARKET PLAYS ├── Two-Factor Markets ├── Ecosystem Model ├── Tower and Moat └── Channel Conflict

DEFENSIVE PLAYS ├── Signal Distortion ├── Threat Acquisition ├── Embracing Competition └── Fragmentation

ATTACKING PLAYS ├── ILC (Innovate-Leverage-Commoditize) ├── Fool's Mate ├── Pig in a Poke └── Misdirection

ECOSYSTEM PLAYS ├── Co-option ├── Sensing Engines ├── Center of Gravity └── Land and Expand

Key Strategic Plays

ILC (Innovate-Leverage-Commoditize)

ILC Pattern:

1. INNOVATE (Genesis)

   • Create new capability
   • Build expertise
   • Accept high failure rate
   • Focus on learning

2. LEVERAGE (Custom → Product)

   • Take successful innovations
   • Build repeatable solutions
   • Capture market share
   • Establish position

3. COMMODITIZE (Product → Utility)

   • Industrialize at scale
   • Drive costs down
   • Enable new innovations
   • Create ecosystem lock-in

Example: AWS

• Innovate: Internal cloud infrastructure
• Leverage: EC2, S3 products
• Commoditize: Utility computing model

Open Approaches

Open Source/Open Standards Strategy:

WHEN TO USE:

• Component is in Product/Commodity stage
• Competitor has dominant position
• Need to accelerate commoditization
• Want to shift competition elsewhere

MECHANISMS:

• Release IP to commoditize competitor advantage
• Build ecosystem around open standard
• Shift competition to higher-order systems
• Reduce costs through community contribution

RISKS:

• Loss of direct control
• Competitor adoption/contribution
• Community governance challenges
• Forking potential

EXAMPLES:

• Google releasing Kubernetes (commoditized orchestration)
• Facebook releasing React (commoditized UI frameworks)
• Microsoft embracing Linux (shifted competition)

Two-Factor Markets

Two-Factor Market Pattern:

STRUCTURE: ┌─────────────────┐ │ Platform/Hub │ ├─────────────────┤ │ Side A: Users │◄──────────┐ │ (often free) │ │ ├─────────────────┤ Value │ │ Side B: Payers │───────────┘ │ (monetized) │ └─────────────────┘

CHARACTERISTICS:

• One side subsidized
• Network effects between sides
• Winner-take-most dynamics
• High barriers once established

EXAMPLES:

• Google: Users (free) + Advertisers (pay)
• LinkedIn: Basic users + Recruiters/Premium
• Android: Users + App developers + Advertisers

EXECUTION:

1. Identify which side to subsidize
2. Build critical mass on free side
3. Monetize other side
4. Defend with network effects

Ecosystem Plays

Ecosystem Strategy:

COMPONENTS: ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ YOUR PLATFORM │ ├─────────────┬─────────────┬────────┤ │ Partners │ Developers │ Users │ ├─────────────┴─────────────┴────────┤ │ Complementors │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘

BUILDING ECOSYSTEM:

1. Identify anchor components (your moat)
2. Enable complementors (APIs, SDKs)
3. Attract partners (mutual value)
4. Foster developer community
5. Create switching costs through integration

ECOSYSTEM DEFENSE:

• Continuously innovate anchor
• Maintain platform control
• Manage partner relationships
• Invest in developer experience
• Monitor for disintermediation

Tower and Moat

Tower and Moat Strategy:

THE TOWER (Genesis/Custom):

• High-value innovation
• Difficult to replicate
• Differentiating capability
• Your competitive advantage

THE MOAT (Product/Commodity):

• Surrounds and protects tower
• Creates switching costs
• Locks in customers
• Makes tower access dependent on moat

BUILDING:

1. Identify your tower (unique value)
2. Commoditize adjacent components
3. Integrate tower with commoditized moat
4. Make tower accessible only through moat

EXAMPLES:

• Apple: Design (tower) + iOS ecosystem (moat)
• Tesla: AI/Software (tower) + Charging network (moat)

Play Selection Framework

Situational Assessment

Questions Before Selecting Plays:

POSITION ANALYSIS: □ Where are your components on the map? □ Where are competitor components? □ What is evolving fastest? □ Where do you have advantage?

CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT: □ What can you execute well? □ What resources do you have? □ What is your risk tolerance? □ What is your time horizon?

MARKET CONTEXT: □ Is the market growing or consolidating? □ Are there regulatory pressures? □ What are customer pain points? □ What substitutes are emerging?

Play-Position Matrix

Your Position Market Position Recommended Plays

Genesis leader Early market ILC, Ecosystem, Tower

Custom strength Growing market Leverage, Standards, Open

Product parity Mature market Two-Factor, Channel, Moat

Commodity laggard Consolidated market Open (disrupt), FUD, Acquisition

Play Compatibility

Plays That Work Together:

• ILC + Ecosystem: Industrialize then build ecosystem
• Open + Two-Factor: Open commoditizes, platform monetizes
• Standards + Ecosystem: Standard attracts, ecosystem locks
• Tower + Moat: Innovation protected by commoditization

Plays That Conflict:

• Open + IPR exploitation (contradictory)
• Standards + Fragmentation (undermines standard)
• Two-Factor + Raising Barriers (limits one side)

Gameplay Analysis Template

Strategic Play Analysis: [Context]

Current Situation

Map Position

[Where you are on the evolution axis]

Competitive Position

Play Options

Option 1: [Play Name]

Description: [What the play involves]

Prerequisites:

• [Required capability/position]

Execution Steps:

1. [Step]
2. [Step]
3. [Step]

Expected Outcomes:

• Short-term: [Impact]
• Long-term: [Impact]

Risks:

• [Risk and mitigation]

Resource Requirements:

• [What's needed]

Option 2: [Play Name]

[Same structure]

Recommendation

Selected Play: [Which play and why]

Success Criteria:

• [Measurable outcome]
• [Measurable outcome]

Review Points:

• [When to reassess]

Anti-Patterns

Strategic Mistakes to Avoid:

1. PLAYING IN THE WRONG STAGE

   • Genesis plays in Commodity space (wasted innovation)
   • Commodity plays in Genesis space (premature optimization)

2. IGNORING INERTIA

   • Assuming market will adopt without resistance
   • Underestimating competitor response

3. SINGLE PLAY DEPENDENCE

   • Betting everything on one approach
   • No fallback if play fails

4. MISREADING EVOLUTION

   • Thinking you can stop evolution
   • Fighting inevitable commoditization

5. ECOSYSTEM HUBRIS

   • Assuming you'll be the center
   • Underestimating partner leverage

6. OPEN WASHING

   • Claiming open but maintaining control
   • Community will recognize and resist

Doctrine Application to Plays

Doctrine Principles Affecting Plays:

FOCUS: Pick plays that align with purpose KNOW YOUR USERS: Ensure plays serve real needs USE APPROPRIATE METHODS: Match play to component stage THINK SMALL: Start with minimal viable plays MANAGE INERTIA: Account for resistance in play design USE COMMON LANGUAGE: Map is the common language for plays CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS: Test play assumptions early

Workflow

When identifying strategic plays:

• Map Current State: Complete Wardley Map first

• Assess Position: Where are you strong/weak?

• Identify Options: What plays are available?

• Evaluate Fit: Which plays match your situation?

• Check Compatibility: Do selected plays work together?

• Plan Execution: Detailed steps and timelines

• Define Success Criteria: How will you measure?

• Plan Reassessment: When to review and adjust?

References

For detailed guidance:

Last Updated: 2025-12-26