Arena Scan Canvas

#The problem this canvas solves

A whole ecosystem is too broad to explore at once. The Arena Scan reduces this complexity by breaking the ecosystem down into arenas - sets of related systemic outcomes (jobs-to-be-done) - mapped on an enabling/enabled, before/after grid, with a FOCUS area capturing your own perspective of enablement. Entities and players are mapped later, on the Ecosystem Scan.

#When to use it

Use the Arena Scan at the very start of exploration to hypothesize what the ecosystem looks like, decompose it into arenas via systemic jobs-to-be-done, and pick the focus arenas whose steps will feed the Ecosystem Scan. Note: the FOCUS area does not mean "the most important arenas in the ecosystem" - it reflects your perspective of enablement.

#The canvas

The canvas in the updated Boundaryless brand (full resolution — click to zoom). A print-ready PDF and editable SVG are also available on request.

#Canvas structure

#Arenas map (left area)

Hosts the arenas identified in the ecosystem: sequential phases along the horizontal axis (before-after), enabled arenas at the top, enabling resources at the bottom.

#FOCUS area (center)

Where you place the arenas of interest - your qualitative perspective of enablement, explicitly not 'the most important arenas in the ecosystem'.

#Steps expansion (right area)

Expands each focus arena into its steps - the interactions between a few entities - which become the experiences mapped in the Ecosystem Scan.

#How to use it

A qualitative, highly iterative decomposition: Ecosystem to Arenas (from systemic jobs-to-be-done) to steps of the systemic interaction, continuously re-clustering as better logical continuity emerges from team discussion and domain-expert feedback.

#Steps

1. Arenas map — List all the arenas of your knowledge - phases (before/after or cause/effect relationships) or enabling/enabled clusters of systemic-outcome jobs.
2. Arenas map — Place sequential phases along the horizontal axis (before-after); arenas enabled by underlying ones at the top, enabling resources and components at the bottom.
3. FOCUS area — Identify the focus arenas and place them close to the center - e.g. by dot voting, or marking where you have direct interest, expertise or control.
4. Steps expansion — Starting from the FOCUS arenas in priority order, list all their steps - the interactions between a few entities.
5. Steps expansion — Use Ulwick's universal job map (Define-Locate-Prepare-Confirm-Execute-Monitor-Modify-Conclude) as loose guidance, always in systemic-outcome terms.

#Tips

• The FOCUS area is not 'the most important arenas' - there may be higher-value arenas, but if you can't act on them, focus on what you can exploit.
• Size heuristic: arenas rarely involve more than ~10 roles; steps usually 2-5 entities - a step with 20 entities should be unbundled or promoted to arena.
• Unbundling-rebundling is iterative: re-cluster arenas by recurring entities, logical contiguity, and domain-expert feedback.
• Describe the ecosystem textually first; if you know one arena, add what happens before and after it, what generates its inputs and where outputs go.
• What you end up with: a preliminary picture of the arena landscape - to be challenged in the next steps - with all the elements for the Ecosystem Scan.

#Connections with other canvases

#Feeds into

• Ecosystem Scan Canvas — Arena insights inform ecosystem mapping
• Brief Consolidation Canvas — Arena analysis feeds strategic brief

#Complements

• VRIO Analysis Canvas — Arena scan and VRIO together assess competitive position

#Used in techniques

• Scanning and Mapping the Ecosystem

#Used in pipelines

• Understanding the Ecosystem

#Related reading

• The Macro-Problems and Techniques of Platform Design — Explains the Arena Scan as part of Macro-Problem 1: Understanding Ecosystems

#Resources

• Guide reference: PDT Opportunity Exploration Guide - Arena Scan chapter
• License: Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike 4.0 International
• Version: 2.2.1

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Canvas · Part of Platform Design Toolkit · v2.2.1