Impact mapping - review

Last updated Feb 12, 2026 Published Jan 6, 2022

The content here is under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license

Building software is hard; building software that users love and that delivers real value is even harder. For decades, the software industry has struggled with a lack of effective communication between technical and business stakeholders, resulting in misaligned goals and wasted effort (Adzic & Bisset, 2012).

Even with the advent of the Agile Manifesto, process alone cannot bridge this gap. Tools and techniques are needed to ensure that teams build the right thing. “Impact Mapping” by Gojko Adzic introduces a practical, collaborative technique to align software delivery with business objectives by focusing on impacts, not just features.

What is Impact Mapping?

Impact mapping is defined in the book as:

“A visualization of scope and underlying assumptions, created collaboratively by senior technical and business people.”

The technique helps teams answer four critical questions:

  1. Why? – What is the business goal?
  2. Who? – Who can help us achieve it, or who can obstruct it?
  3. How? – How should their behavior change?
  4. What? – What can we do to support or influence that change?

The Four Dimensions of an Impact Map

1. Why (Goal)

  • The starting point is a clear, measurable business goal.
  • Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Timely (SMART).
  • Example: “Increase user sign-ups by 20% in the next quarter.”

2. Who (Actors)

  • Identify all actors who can influence the outcome (users, customers, competitors, regulators, etc.).
  • Avoid generic terms; be as specific as possible.
  • Example: “New visitors to the website,” “Marketing team,” “Existing customers.”

3. How (Impacts)

  • Define how the actors’ behavior needs to change to achieve the goal.
  • Focus on outcomes, not outputs.
  • Example: “New visitors complete the registration process.”

4. What (Deliverables)

  • List deliverables, features, or actions the team can take to support the desired impact.
  • These are hypotheses to be validated, not a fixed backlog.
  • Example: “Implement a simplified sign-up form,” “Send onboarding emails.”

How to Create an Impact Map (Process from the Book)

  1. Collaborative Workshop: Gather business and technical stakeholders.
  2. Start with the Goal: Agree on a clear, measurable objective.
  3. Identify Actors: List everyone who can influence the goal.
  4. Map Impacts: For each actor, brainstorm how their behavior could change to help (or hinder) the goal.
  5. List Deliverables: For each impact, identify what the team can do to make it happen.
  6. Visualize: Draw the map as a tree, starting from the goal, branching to actors, then impacts, then deliverables.

Benefits of Impact Mapping (as described in the book)

  • Ensures alignment between business goals and software features
  • Encourages critical thinking about assumptions and priorities
  • Supports adaptive planning and rapid feedback
  • Helps teams avoid building unnecessary features
  • Facilitates communication and shared understanding

Example Impact Map Structure (from the book)

  • Goal: Increase online sales by 15% in 6 months
    • Actor: Returning customers
      • Impact: Make repeat purchases more frequently
        • Deliverable: Implement one-click reordering
        • Deliverable: Send personalized discount offers
    • Actor: New visitors
      • Impact: Complete first purchase
        • Deliverable: Simplify checkout process
        • Deliverable: Add guest checkout option

References

  1. Adzic, G., & Bisset, M. (2012). Impact Mapping: Making a big impact with software products and projects. Provoking Thoughts Limited.

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