Continuous map governance gave us living Wardley Maps tied to telemetry. The next leap is turning doctrine into code so agents can execute plays safely, surface exceptions fast, and keep governance adaptive instead of static. This post outlines how we might be able to codify Wardley and Cynefin guidance into machine-enforced guardrails using policy-as-code, feature flags, and control planes—while keeping humans as arbiters of judgement.
In the previous post, we discussed the importance of continuous map governance in an AI-driven world. We saw how living maps, instrumented with real-time data, are essential for making sense of a rapidly changing landscape. But what happens when the map can not only inform decisions, but also execute them?
The next phase of map governance is letting the plays fire themselves. Continuous map governance turned static Wardley Maps into living control rooms. The follow-on step is allowing autonomous agents to interpret those maps and launch strategic plays the moment signals cross their thresholds. This demands leadership that treats doctrine as runnable code, evolves guardrails faster than competitors evolve capabilities, and choreographs humans as the editors of intent rather than the operators of every move.