Agent skill

Wardley Map Analysis

Maps a user need's value chain against evolution stages to guide build-versus-buy decisions and show competitive dynamics.

MITAuto-check passedBusiness, Finance & HR

Install Wardley Map Analysis

skills CLI

$ npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install neurofoo/agent-skills wardley --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/wardley .claude/skills/wardley && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "wardley" agent skill from https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley into .claude/skills/wardley/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "wardley", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install neurofoo/agent-skills wardley --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/wardley .agents/skills/wardley && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "wardley" agent skill from https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley into .agents/skills/wardley/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "wardley", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install neurofoo/agent-skills wardley --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/wardley .cursor/skills/wardley && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "wardley" agent skill from https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley into .cursor/skills/wardley/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "wardley", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git --path wardley

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install neurofoo/agent-skills wardley --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/wardley .gemini/skills/wardley && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "wardley" agent skill from https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley into .gemini/skills/wardley/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "wardley", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install neurofoo/agent-skills wardley

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/wardley .github/skills/wardley && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "wardley" agent skill from https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley into .github/skills/wardley/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "wardley", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install neurofoo/agent-skills wardley --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/wardley .opencode/skills/wardley && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "wardley" agent skill from https://github.com/neurofoo/agent-skills/tree/main/wardley into .opencode/skills/wardley/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "wardley", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: wardley
GitHub stars: 119
Token cost: ~776 tokens
SKILL.md length: 270 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 22
Repo updated: Jan 19, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Maps a user need's value chain against evolution stages to guide build-versus-buy decisions and show competitive dynamics.

Deciding whether to build or buy a technology component
SKILL.md covers Instructions, Value Chain Identification, Evolution Assessment and The Map, plus 4 more sections
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
Mapping a product's value chain for a strategy discussion

What it does

The agent starts from a user need and works backward to the components required to meet it, recording each one's dependencies and visibility from user-facing to hidden. It then places every component on the evolution axis of genesis, custom, product or commodity, with indicators and evidence for each placement, and draws the map as a text diagram.

From the map it analyzes movement, noting what is evolving toward commodity and where inertia may cause resistance, then builds a build-versus-buy table, with differentiators on the left and commodity components bought, and lists commoditization threats. The output ends with short-term actions, things to stop doing and one key insight. The guidelines say to start with the user need and that everything evolves from genesis toward commodity.

When your agent uses it

Deciding whether to build or buy a technology component
Mapping a product's value chain for a strategy discussion
Spotting components likely to become commodities

Example prompts

“Create a Wardley map for our customer support chatbot and tell me what to build versus buy.”
“Map the value chain for an online course platform and show where commoditization threatens us.”
“Help us decide whether to run our own search infrastructure using a Wardley map.”

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 0e7ac2a. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Wardley Map Analysis loads about 776 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 47 tokens; SKILL.md has 270 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~47
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~776

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from neurofoo/agent-skills at commit 0e7ac2a, republished under its MIT licence (© neurofoo). 270 words, ~776 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/wardley/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: wardley
description: Wardley Mapping strategic analysis—map value chains against evolution to reveal build vs buy decisions and competitive dynamics. Use for technology strategy or investment decisions.
user-invocable: true

Wardley Map

Create a strategic map showing components positioned by their evolution stage and visibility in the value chain.

Instructions

Identify the user need, map the value chain of components required to meet it, and position each component on the evolution axis.

Output Format

Context: [What situation we're mapping] User: [Who the user is] User Need: [What they're trying to accomplish]

Value Chain Identification

Working backward from user need:

Component	Depends On	Visibility
[User Need]	[what it requires]	High (User-facing)
[Component A]	[what it requires]	High/Med/Low
[Component B]	[what it requires]	High/Med/Low
[Infrastructure]	[base requirements]	Low (Hidden)

Evolution Assessment

Component	Evolution Stage	Evidence
[Component A]	Genesis / Custom / Product / Commodity	[Why at this stage]
[Component B]	Genesis / Custom / Product / Commodity	[Why at this stage]

Evolution Indicators:

Genesis: Novel, poorly understood, no standard, high uncertainty
Custom: Emerging practices, divergent approaches, experimentation
Product: Feature differentiation, rental/purchase models, scalable
Commodity: Standardized, utility pricing, essential but undifferentiated

The Map

VISIBLE │
   TO   │  [User Need]
  USER  │       │
        │       ▼
        │  [Component A]
        │       │
        │       ▼
INVISIBLE│  [Component B]
        │
        └──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────►
            GENESIS  CUSTOM PRODUCT COMMODITY
              I        II     III      IV

Movement Analysis

What's evolving rightward?

Component	Current Stage	Evolving Toward
[component]	[stage]	[next stage]

Inertia Points

[Component with inertia] — [why we might resist]

Strategic Analysis

Build vs. Buy

Component	Recommendation	Rationale
[Genesis/Custom]	Build	Differentiator
[Commodity]	Buy	Commodity, not differentiating

Competitive Dynamics

Our differentiators (left side of map):

[Component we do differently]

Commoditization threats:

[Component becoming commodity]

Recommendations

Short-term actions:

[Action based on map insights]

What to stop doing:

[Component to outsource/buy instead of build]

Key Insight:

[Main strategic takeaway from the mapping exercise]

Guidelines

Always start with user need
Everything evolves left to right (genesis → commodity)
Build on the left (differentiation), buy on the right (commodity)
Watch for inertia—past success creates resistance to change

$ARGUMENTS

Files

Just SKILL.md in wardley of neurofoo/agent-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 0e7ac2a

Compare with similar skills

Wardley Map Analysis next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Wardley Map Analysis compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Wardley Map Analysis this skillneurofoo/agent-skills	119	—	~776	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	8 mo ago
7 Powers Analysisamplitude/builder-skills	159	—	~1.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	None	2 mo ago
Zhang Yiming Perspectivealchaincyf/zhang-yiming-skill	172	2 repos	~3.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	1 mo ago
Good Strategy Bad Strategy Kernelamplitude/builder-skills	159	—	~2.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	None	2 mo ago
Playing to Win Strategyamplitude/builder-skills	159	—	~1.7k	Automated safety check: Pass	None	2 mo ago
Business Model Canvasborghei/Claude-Skills	874	—	~1.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today

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Questions about Wardley Map Analysis

What does Wardley Map Analysis do?

Maps a user need's value chain against evolution stages to guide build-versus-buy decisions and show competitive dynamics. The agent starts from a user need and works backward to the components required to meet it, recording each one's dependencies and visibility from user-facing to hidden. It then places every component on the evolution axis of genesis, custom, product or commodity, with indicators and evidence for each placement, and draws the map as a text diagram.

When should I use Wardley Map Analysis?

Wardley Map Analysis fits situations like: deciding whether to build or buy a technology component; mapping a product's value chain for a strategy discussion; spotting components likely to become commodities.

How do I install Wardley Map Analysis in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (wardley in neurofoo/agent-skills) into .claude/skills/wardley in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Wardley Map Analysis in Codex?

Run `npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (wardley in neurofoo/agent-skills) into .agents/skills/wardley in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Wardley Map Analysis in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add neurofoo/agent-skills --skill wardley -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/wardley, .gemini/skills/wardley, .github/skills/wardley and .opencode/skills/wardley in your project.

What does Wardley Map Analysis need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Wardley Map Analysis is instructions for the agent only.

Does Wardley Map Analysis access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Wardley Map Analysis safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Wardley Map Analysis use?

Wardley Map Analysis is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Wardley Map Analysis use?

About 776 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Wardley Map Analysis?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Wardley Map Analysis: 7 Powers Analysis (amplitude/builder-skills, 159 stars), Zhang Yiming Perspective (alchaincyf/zhang-yiming-skill, 172 stars), Good Strategy Bad Strategy Kernel (amplitude/builder-skills, 159 stars) and Playing to Win Strategy (amplitude/builder-skills, 159 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Wardley Map Analysis?

neurofoo (a GitHub user) maintains it in neurofoo/agent-skills, which has 119 GitHub stars. The repository holds 22 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on January 19, 2026.

Source: neurofoo/agent-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Wardley Map Analysis

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Wardley Map

Instructions

Output Format

Value Chain Identification

Evolution Assessment

The Map

Movement Analysis

Strategic Analysis

Build vs. Buy

Competitive Dynamics

Recommendations

Guidelines

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from neurofoo/agent-skills

Related

Questions about Wardley Map Analysis