Heuristics library
The method's heuristic decks and lenses in one place — pattern cards, platform plays, principles, growth tactics, network properties, growth loops — with when to play each one
The methodology's techniques tell you what to do next. The heuristics are different: they are the decks and lenses you play against a situation — to recognize what's possible, pick a move, or judge a strategy. They are not steps in a sequence; they are a library you draw from at the right moment.
This page is the shelf. Each family has its own reference page; here is what each one is for and when to reach for it. In the canvas index these objects are classified by kind: card decks and catalogs (the heuristics) alongside the canvases (the worksheets).
The decks
| Deck | What it is | When you play it |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern Cards | 12 recurring patterns of platformization (each with a layer: Infrastructure / Aggregator / Long Tail) | Exploration — as mindset challengers over the landscape: which signals are visible here? |
| Platform Plays | The 6 recurring strategic plays that turn a pipeline value chain into a platform one | Exploration → strategy — matched against the Wardley Map to identify the gameplay |
| Principles of Platform Design | 7 principles distilling the approach into its lightest-weight form | Early as provocations while framing; late as evaluative rulers over a designed strategy |
| Growth Tactics Cards | The 10 proven tactics to reach initial liquidity | Go-to-market — chosen against the network properties of the key relationship |
| Flywheel Cards | Example flywheels from real platforms, as sketching igniters | Experience design — while sketching your own flywheels |
The lenses
| Lens | What it reads | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Network Properties | The seven properties of the relationship underlying the network — they drive tactic choice and defensibility | Network Properties & NFX Canvas · NFX & Defensibility technique |
| Growth Loops | Which self-reinforcing loops fit your product-channel reality | Growth Loops technique |
How the library is played
The families compose into one recognizable movement:
Two habits keep the library honest:
- A deck is a library, not a checklist — play the cards whose signal is actually visible in the situation, not all of them.
- The library learns — recurring moves observed in practice that no current card covers are candidates for new entries. The decks have grown before (the Pattern Cards superseded an earlier pattern list) and will grow again.