Market Map Design

A market map positions ecosystem actors on a two-dimensional grid defined by strategically relevant axes. The axes you choose determine what the map reveals. Common axis pairs for AI ecosystem maps: capability breadth vs. deployment model (horizontal platform vs. vertical solution, cloud vs. on-premise), market segment vs. pricing (enterprise vs. SMB, premium vs. commodity), and innovation velocity vs. market maturity (cutting-edge vs. production-proven, new vs. established). Each axis pair produces a different view of the same ecosystem, and the combination of views provides comprehensive strategic insight.

1. Choose Axes Based on Strategic Questions What strategic question are you trying to answer? "Where should we position our product?" requires axes that show competitive positioning gaps. "Who are our most likely partners?" requires axes that show complementary positioning. "What threats should we watch?" requires axes that show trajectory toward your position. Let the question drive the axis selection.
2. Position Actors Rigorously Each actor's position on the map should be defensible with evidence. If the x-axis is "capability breadth," define what broad and narrow mean with specific criteria. Position actors based on evidence (product features, pricing data, customer segments served), not impressions. If two evaluators would place the same actor in different positions, the axis definitions are too vague.
3. Identify Strategic Implications What does the map reveal? Clusters of actors in one quadrant suggest competitive saturation. Empty quadrants suggest market opportunities (or structurally unviable positions). Actors positioned near the boundary between quadrants are likely to shift — monitor them for movement. The map's value is in the patterns, not the individual positions.