Mapping Customer Experience Ecosystems

🗺️ AirBnB Customer Journey Blueprint, a wonderful practical example of how to visualize the entire customer experience for 2 personas, across 8 touch points, with user policies, UI screens and all interactions with the customer service — all on one single page. AirBnB Customer Journey (Google Drive): https://lnkd.in/eKsTjrp4 Spotify Customer Journey (High-res): https://lnkd.in/eX3NBWbJ Now, unlike AirBnB, your product might not need a mapping against user policies. However, it might need other lanes that would be more relevant for your team. E.g. include relevant findings and recommendations from UX research. List key actions needed for next stage. Add relevant UX metrics and unsuccessful touchpoints. That last bit is often missing. Yet customer journeys are often non-linear, with unpredictable entry points, and integrations way beyond the final stage of a customer journey map. It’s in those moments when things leave a perfect path that a product’s UX is actually stress tested. So consider mapping unsuccessful touchpoints as well — failures, error messages, conflicts, incompatibilities, warnings, connectivity issues, eventual lock-outs and frequent log-outs, authentication issues, outages and urgent support inquiries. Even further than that: each team could be able to zoom into specific touch points and attach links to quotes, photos, videos, prototypes, design system docs and Figma files. Perhaps even highlight the desired future state. Technical challenges and pain points. Those unsuccessful states. Now, that would be a remarkable reference to use in the beginning of every design sprint. Such mappings are often overlooked, but they can be very impactful. Not only is it a very tangible way to visualize UX, but it’s also easy to understand, remember and relate to daily — potentially for all teams in the entire organization. And that's something only few artefacts can do. Useful resources: Free Template: Customer Journey Mapping, by Taras Bakusevych https://lnkd.in/e-emkh5A Free Template: End-To-End User Experience Map (Figma), by Justin Tan https://lnkd.in/eir9jg7J Customer Journey Map Template (Figma), by Ed Biden https://lnkd.in/evaUP4kz Free Figma/Miro User Journey Maps Templates https://lnkd.in/etSB7VqB User Journey Maps vs. Service Blueprints (+ Templates) https://lnkd.in/e-JSYtwW UX Mapping Methods (+ Miro/Figma Templates) https://lnkd.in/en3Vje4t #ux #design

If I joined a new company as a Customer Success Manager, here are three ChatGPT prompts I'd use to quickly get up to speed. 1) Determine key stakeholders within my customer's business 2) Figure out what they do day-to-day and common points 3) Create messaging that resonates immediately Here they are: Prompt One (Identify Key Stakeholders): "I'm a Customer Success Manager for [product/platform] that helps companies with [primary use case]. Our solution delivers these outcomes: [Outcome one] [Outcome two] [Outcome three] [Outcome four] Help me build a stakeholder map. Include anyone who might be influenced by our product, who might have a project that touches our product, or anyone who might be involved in the buying committee. Which stakeholders and departments should I prioritize for relationship building to ensure successful adoption and expansion?" Prompt Two (Understand Stakeholder Motivations): "For each of those stakeholders, please summarize the following points in tabular format, with each point as a column header and each stakeholder as its row: --> What business outcomes and metrics matter most to this stakeholder --> How this stakeholder typically measures success in their role --> Common challenges this stakeholder faces when trying to achieve their goals --> How our solution specifically addresses these challenges and supports their success metrics --> What risks might cause this stakeholder to disengage or question our value" Prompt Three (Create Tailored Communication): "Now, let's create four different communication templates: - An introduction email for a new stakeholder explaining our partnership vision - A QBR summary highlighting value delivered to their specific department - An at-risk account message addressing potential adoption challenges - An expansion opportunity message tied to their business objectives For each template: 1) Open with a specific pain point or opportunity relevant to their role 2) Acknowledge their current approach and its limitations 3) Explain how our solution delivers unique value for their situation 4) Include a clear next step or action item Keep it under 150 words and easily scannable Use straightforward, jargon-free language." With these three prompts, I can hit the ground running in any new CS role - understanding who matters, what they care about, and how to communicate our value effectively from day one. This is just a small example of how ChatGPT could impact your day-to-day role as a CSM. It should really become a companion to your work. What other AI prompts have you found helpful in customer success roles?

Quietly, something important just happened: the Ecosystem Integrity Index (EII) is now open source. Every team can now reliably set targets and report against a comparable, trustworthy measure of ecosystem health to their stakeholders. That might sound technical. It’s not. It’s a fundamental shift in ecosystem visibility. For years, one of the biggest constraints on nature-based finance hasn’t been intent or capital, it’s been measurement. We’ve had strong data on pressures (land use, climate, extraction). We’ve had deep insight into species responses. But we’ve lacked a unified, scalable, publicly available way to assess ecosystem condition itself. EII begins to change that. This release includes: – Global coverage at 300m resolution – Current-state ecosystem mapping – A Python API for accessible data use – Google Earth Engine integration for scalable analysis Why this matters: – You can’t price risk you can’t see. – You can’t invest at scale without comparability. – And you can’t govern what you can’t measure. Open, system-level metrics like this don’t just support better science, they unlock better markets, better decisions, and better incentive structures. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gSPQcRwg

"Your brand isn't what you say it is. It's what they say it is." - Marty Neumeier The duality of brand existence 👇👇👇 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆: 1. The objective realm of products, services, and measurable performance 2. The subjective realm of perception, emotion, and cultural meaning This duality creates a complex reality where success depends not just on what a brand does, but on how it resonates in the collective consciousness of its audience. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 Core Essence vs. Expression A brand's ontology can be understood through two philosophical lenses: 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 (𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲) Core purpose Foundational values Brand promise Organizational culture 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀��𝗼𝗻 (𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀) Visual identity Marketing campaigns Product iterations Communication styles A brand's essence exists independent of its temporal expressions. Nike's essence of athletic excellence and human potential remains constant, while its campaigns and products evolve. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻? Brand knowledge forms through three primary channels: 𝟭. 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Product usage Customer service interactions Physical touchpoints 𝟮. 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Marketing communications Social media presence Third-party reviews Cultural conversation 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 Brand heritage Shared experiences Cultural associations Community narratives ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗽 The space between a brand's objective reality and its perceived reality requires careful navigation: 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝟭. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 Build from authentic capabilities Demonstrate before claiming Under-promise, over-deliver 𝟮. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Consistent storytelling Experience design Community building Cultural participation 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Continuous improvement Innovation aligned with perception Closing experience gaps ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Practical implementation - Building brand truth 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 What unchanging purpose drives your brand? What values are truly non-negotiable? What unique value do you provide? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Craft consistent narratives Design meaningful experiences Engage in authentic dialogue Build community connections 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 & 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 Track perception gaps Listen to customer stories Evolve while maintaining essence Respond to cultural shifts A brand's reality exists at the intersection of objective truth and collective belief. Success comes not from controlling this reality, but from understanding its dual nature and working skilfully with both dimensions.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤. A donor list tells you 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮. A donor ecosystem map tells you how funding actually moves. That difference matters. Many NGOs prepare proposal pipelines by listing UNICEF, EU, USAID, FCDO, WFP, and a few INGOs. Then they wait for calls. But funding rarely moves in a straight line from donor to NGO. It moves through: UN agencies Consortium leads INGOs Pooled funds Clusters Technical working groups Local partners Compliance systems 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. An NGO may know that UNICEF funds education. But ecosystem mapping asks better questions: Who manages the funding? Who influences the technical priorities? Who selects local partners? Which consortium lead controls access? What compliance threshold blocks direct entry? Where is implementation capacity weak? That is strategy. For example, a local NGO with strong community access but weak compliance systems may waste months chasing direct EU funding. A better route may be positioning as a downstream implementation partner for an INGO consortium, building reporting history, donor exposure, and past performance first. That is not a smaller strategy. It is sequencing. 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀. And in proposal development, pathways matter because donors do not only fund good ideas. They fund organizations that understand the funding architecture, implementation risks, compliance pressure, and partner ecosystem around the idea. A strong BD team does not ask only: “Which donor should we approach?” It asks: “𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺?” That question changes everything. I’ve received encouraging feedback from nonprofits I’ve supported through donor ecosystem mapping. If you would like to explore how this approach can strengthen your funding strategy and positioning, feel free to leave a message to join the waitlist. If this was useful, repost it. Because the best funding insights usually come from discussion between practitioners. #DonorReadyPrograms #NGOFunding #ProposalDevelopment #DonorEcoSystemMapping #DonorMapping #BusinessDevelopment #Fundraising

Most leaders do not fail because of strategy. They fail because they misread the temperature in the room… In high-stakes environments, government, public sector, crisis operations, cross-functional corporate systems: Stakeholder Heat Map is not a tool. It is a survival skill. Here is what the strongest leaders understand: 1. Influence is not evenly distributed. Some stakeholders hold positional power. Others hold informal power, culture keepers, gatekeepers, silent resistors, quiet champions. Ignore them, and your plan dies privately long before it fails publicly. 2. Resistance is rarely personal, but always predictable. A heat map reveals: • Who is cold (indifferent) • Who is warm (curious) • Who is hot (activated positively or negatively) When leaders do not take time to understand these dynamics, they mistake friction for failure instead of preparation. 3. Pressure travels through systems, not org charts. A VP can block you. But so can a supervisor, a union rep, a policy analyst, an overwhelmed SME, or a frontline team with zero psychological safety. Heat maps show leadership where the real constraints live. 4. Alignment is not consensus, it is clarity. Stakeholder heat maps force leaders to answer: • Who needs to understand? • Who needs to decide? • Who needs to execute? • Who needs to feel safe? Without clarity, alignment is accidental. With it, momentum becomes intentional. 5. Change succeeds when people feel seen. Every transformation breaks when leaders forget one truth: • People do not resist change. • People resist being changed without context, dignity, or voice. A heat map helps leaders anticipate emotions, not just deliverables. The leaders who thrive in 2026 are not the loudest or the most authoritative. They are the ones who can read the room, see the system, and move people forward without burning them out. That is not a spreadsheet skill. That is a leadership skill. Where in your work would a stakeholder heat map prevent friction or accelerate change? 🎥: @jordangoldenstateyt Taipei live ♻️ Repost to help a leader in your network navigate complexity with more clarity. 🔖 Follow Izabela for insights on leadership, strategy, and high-stakes decision-making.

Stakeholder analysis isn’t just about who’s in the room. It’s about who designs the room.. Owns the building… or locked the door before you got there. Likewise, the loudest voices aren’t always the most powerful. And the quietest ones often hold the keys to trust, access, or legitimacy. If your stakeholder list only includes the “usual suspects,” you’re missing the edges... The overlooked actors, the informal brokers, the invisible resistors. Inclusive stakeholder analysis asks deeper questions: Who sets the rules? Who benefits from the status quo? Who’s too often labeled “not important” or “too hard to reach”? Don’t just map influence. Map exclusion. Here's how. 🔹Step 1: Scan the Edges Don’t just list the obvious players. Ask: Who’s affected but rarely included? Who’s doing invisible labour such as the caregivers, informal leaders, grassroots workers? 🔹Step 2: Look for Layers Go beyond names and titles. Ask: How do these stakeholders relate to each other? Who’s a gatekeeper? Who’s a connector? Who’s resisting? 🔹Step 3: Name the Power Not all influence is formal. Ask: Who can stop this work or scale it? Who benefits the least from what we’re doing? Who holds credibility, trust, or legitimacy, even without a title? 🔹Step 4: Cluster for Strategy Now group stakeholders by how you’ll engage them: Collaborate with co-creators Consult trusted informants Watch potential blockers or swing voices Shift those who need winning over 🔹Step 5: Interrogate Your Biases Pause and reflect: Who did I list first and why? Who felt “difficult” to engage, was it them, or my assumptions? Am I valuing lived experience, or just institutional clout? #StakeholderAnalysis 🔥 Follow me for similar content and let me hear your thoughts in the Comments section below.

🚀 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐏𝐃 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: epd-database.com Where does your EPD end up once it’s published? Does it reach the tools that matter to your customers from the EPD provider you worked with? Which databases does your target Building LCA tool actually pull from? At Emidat, we get these kind of questions everyday and we believe transparency in the LCA data ecosystem is key - yet today, the journey from an EPD to a Building Level LCA tool is mostly a black box. Luckily, EPDs are public and state with which tool they were generated with and which program operator published them. Program operators and Building LCA Tools often publicly state where they send data to or get data from. We decided to aggregate this information and make all EPD Tool providers, (aggregator) databases, building LCA tools and how they interact transparent in one place. 🔥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 The EPD Database Landscape is a free, visual map of the global EPD data ecosystem. It traces the full chain: LCA / EPD Tool → Program Operator → Database → Aggregator → Building Level LCA Tool With 140+ entries already mapped, it gives manufacturers a clear picture of how the ecosystem connects, end to end. The use cases are straightforward but powerful: - Want your EPD to appear in Building Level LCA Tool X? Trace exactly which databases feed it, and which operators and LCA tools you need to work with to get there. - Already have an EPD? See where your data currently appears across the ecosystem, and where it’s missing. - Evaluating a new LCA tool or program operator? Understand how far your data will travel before you decide. Note that this is a living tool, based on historic data* - we update it continuously as the ecosystem evolves and welcome input and feedback if we missed something! #Emidat #EPD #LCA #Sustainability #Construction #BuiltEnvironment #CarbonTransparency #Digitalisation #CircularEconomy *We use public EPDs and public information from websites to compile this. If for example tool X is CURRENTLY verifying with program operator Y to get into database Z, this might not be visible yet!

A coffee brand is quietly rewriting the playbook for experiential marketing and more leaders should be paying attention ☕ What Blank Street has been doing over the past year is a masterclass in how brands can build relevance with Gen Z and Millennials without shouting, discounting, or over messaging. They’re proving that the future of consumer engagement lies in micro experiences designed with precision. Take their Press for Picnic activation. A simple idea, a picnic kit for early visitors became a powerful engagement moment. Not because of the giveaway, but because it tapped into a cultural truth: younger consumers value experiences that feel intentional, social, and aesthetically aligned with their lifestyle. Then there’s the Post Room pop-up. On paper, a coffee shop doubling as a parcel drop sounds unusual. But strategically, it’s brilliant. It meets customers in their real routines, adds utility, and reframes a mundane task as something worth capturing and sharing. That’s relevance, not gimmick. Here’s what these campaigns get right: • Experience as strategy, not decoration, each activation solves for a real behaviour pattern. • Designed for participation, the audience becomes the distribution engine. • Cultural alignment over trend chasing, the brand integrates into everyday life, instead of interrupting it. • Offline moments built for online amplification, a subtle but critical shift. The takeaway: In a landscape saturated with performance ads and short term tactics, the brands that win will be the ones that create meaning in small but memorable ways. Blank Street is showing how lightweight activations can drive heavyweight brand equity. Blank Street #MarketingStrategy #BrandExperience #ConsumerBehaviour #GenZMarketing #MillennialMarketing #ExperientialMarketing #BrandLeadership

Projects don’t fail because of tools. They fail because of relationships. Stakeholder mapping isn’t bureaucracy — it’s how you build trust before you need it. It’s how you identify the voices who can accelerate progress… and the ones who can quietly stall it. Too often, teams treat stakeholders as obstacles — people to manage, not engage. But here’s the truth: if you don’t bring them in early, they’ll slow you down later. I use my Audit–Align–Act approach for every complex initiative 👇 1️⃣ Audit – See the full landscape Identify everyone touched by the work — directly or indirectly. Decision-makers, downstream users, quiet influencers. Understand the landscape early so you can anticipate tension and find allies. Stakeholders aren’t roadblocks. They’re early warning signals and success partners — if you know how to engage them. 2️⃣ Align – Understand influence, interest, and motivation Not every stakeholder carries the same weight. Audit for interest (who cares) and influence (who decides). Then go deeper: ↳ What’s their background? ↳ What’s their currency — recognition, data, control, speed? When you understand what drives people, you can advocate with them, not around them. 3️⃣ Act – Plan how you’ll engage This is where trust turns into strategy. Plan engagement based on what you’ve learned about each stakeholder: ↳ Who needs visibility and consistent updates? ↳ Who prefers a one-on-one conversation? ↳ Who values brief summaries versus detailed decks? ↳ Who can be a bridge to other groups? And yes — this also means making time for the informal moments. ↳ The hallway check-ins, coffee chats, or casual lunches where people let their guard down and share what’s really on their mind. ↳ Those touchpoints often reveal more than formal meetings ever will. ↳ Because influence is built one genuine interaction at a time. Stakeholder mapping isn’t a kickoff exercise. It’s a living process that strengthens alignment, relationships, and culture. If you’re not mapping your stakeholders, you’re leaving your success to chance. How do you ensure all stakeholders are seen and heard in your projects? ♻️ Repost to share with your network. ➕ Follow Janet Kim for more stories on leadership and career transformation. ~~~~~~ 📩 Want more strategies like this? Subscribe to Level Up Weekly - link in the Featured section. ~~~~~~ I leverage 19 years in Stanford tech to help emerging leaders think strategically, build influence, and execute with confidence, so you’re seen, heard and valued.