EI-301f · Module 2

Map Refresh Cadences

3 min read

Different map types require different refresh cadences based on the rate of change they capture. Network graphs need structural updates as events occur (new partnerships, acquisitions) and comprehensive refreshes quarterly. Market maps need positional updates quarterly and full repositioning annually. Layer models need actor updates quarterly and structural reassessment annually (are the layer definitions still correct? Have new layers emerged? Have layers merged?). The cadence should match the rate of change — over-refreshing wastes effort, under-refreshing produces stale intelligence.

Do This

  • Apply structural changes (new actors, new relationships) as they occur — these are facts that should never lag
  • Refresh positional assessments quarterly — actor positions on strategic axes shift gradually and a quarterly cadence catches meaningful movement
  • Reassess the map architecture annually — the axes, layers, and structural choices that define the map may need updating as the ecosystem evolves

Avoid This

  • Batch all changes for a single annual refresh — the map is fiction for 11 months of the year
  • Refresh daily — most changes are not visible day-to-day, and daily updates create churn without insight
  • Refresh only when someone requests an updated map — reactive maintenance means the map is always stale when you need it most

The quarterly refresh is the most important cadence. It is frequent enough to catch meaningful changes and infrequent enough to be sustainable. The quarterly refresh process: update all actor positions based on the trailing quarter's signals, add or remove actors, update relationship edges, reassess layer dynamics, and produce a change summary that highlights the most strategically significant shifts. The change summary is itself an intelligence product — "here is how the ecosystem changed this quarter" is valuable insight for strategic planning.