The Map
See the shifts reshaping your sector, then choose a direction.
"The point of The Map is not to map the world. It is to place the choice in front of you, so you can make it."
What It Does
The Map takes the Position Score from The Mirror and places it against sector shifts worth acting on. It reframes the dilemma in terms that are actionable, surfaces three viable branches with honest trade-offs, and then helps you commit to one.
Before You Start
The Map is strongest with The Mirror complete. It draws on your Position Score, sector benchmark, role, and experience. Without this upstream data, The Map still runs but the analysis is thinner.
How it works
1. Reframed dilemma and sector analysis
The Map restates the real choice you face, based on The Mirror and current sector signals. You see the forces reshaping your sector and how they bear on your position specifically, not a generic market scan. The dilemma is phrased as a question you can answer, not a vague theme.
2. Three branches with trade-offs
Three viable directions are laid out, each with what it opens, what it closes, and what it asks of you. The trade-offs are explicit. This is an explore-before-lock phase: you can expand each branch and read the detail before committing. You choose one branch to commit to before moving on.
3. Commit to a direction
Explore each branch before you decide. Exploring gives you a short read on that direction: a direction statement, why it works from where you stand, and how to talk about the move. When you are ready, you lock one branch. The locked direction carries into The Thread and The Interview.
How It Connects
The Map sits between The Mirror and The Thread. It reads your Mirror output automatically and writes your locked direction to the run, so The Thread can pick it up when you open it. You do not need to copy anything across.
The Map is a commitment tool. Three branches are shown so you can compare, but only one is carried forward. If you later want to explore a different branch, you can rerun The Map and pick again. Downstream tools will warn you if the direction has changed.
Best Practices
- Complete The Mirror first. The Map is materially better with the full upstream context
- Read all three branches before committing. The point is to see the full choice, not to pick the first plausible option
- Read every branch before you lock one. The trade-offs are the point, and the branch you rule out is as useful as the one you keep
- Come back and rerun The Map if your situation changes. The sector data refreshes and your direction may need to too
Common Questions
- Can I pick more than one branch? No. The Map is a commitment tool by design. The Thread narrates one direction, not three
- What if none of the three branches feel right? Rerun The Map with more specific inputs in The Mirror. Vague inputs produce generic branches
- Can I change my mind? Yes. Open The Map again and choose a different branch. The Thread and Interview will detect the change and prompt you to regenerate
- Is my choice saved? The locked direction is saved to the run and used by The Thread and The Interview. Branches you explored but did not lock are not saved