Thread by @swardley

X : Advice on teaching mapping?
Me :
1) Read - medium.com/wardleymaps
2) Use it for 3-5 years on real problems.
3) Teach.
X : I wanted to teach sooner.
Me : Hmmm, you want to be the person who teaches how to play guitar after reading a book but without ever playing?

X : Gosh, you make it sound daft when you say it like that.
Me : Well, that's because trying to teach without experience is daft. At best, you should get a group together to explore, talk about and discuss. Don't start trying to teach until you have experience yourself.

X : What's the fastest way of building that experience.
Me : Practice.
X : There must be a short cut?
Me : A time machine but I'm out of Zeiton 7 at the moment ... you're going to have to take the long path.
X : There is no shortcut?
Me : To practice? No.

X : But 3 to 5 years is a step barrier.
Me : Wait ... I've this AI based, blockchain powered, 2x2 which will ... phew, day dreaming or was that day nightmaring again. The only key to mapping is to start and no, "thinking about mapping" without doing any is not starting.

Think of it like playing a guitar. Just because you've had the guitar in your cupboard for a decade doesn't mean you've got a decade of experience. We count the experience by the days that you spent playing and yes, you start of being rubbish ... but you get better ...

... the good news in the world of corporate strategy, is that most people don't even know they need a "guitar" (in this case a map), let alone learn how to use it. Most companies have zero days of actual strategy experience beyond meme copying nonsense - strategy-madlibs.herokuapp.com

So even after a week of practice, you might only be able to play one note badly (i.e. focus on user needs) but you'll seem like a virtuoso compared to what happens in the world of corporate strategy. Just remember, keep on practicing and learning more. You will get better.