A reusable recreation of Bungay’s strategic staircase / “main effort” diagram. Each step is a main effort that has first claim on resources; the steps rise over time toward an end-state (★). Beneath each step sits a column of sub-parts — the concrete projects/tasks that make up that stage (the “Figure 14 main-effort map” form).
Two interchangeable builds are below:
Build A — HTML/CSS (renders in Obsidian Reading view): closest to the original, columns of parts along the bottom. Edit by hand.
Build B — Mermaid: lighter to edit, renders in both Live Preview and Reading view, but no rising-stair offset.
How to change parameters
Each step is one self-contained block. To add a step, copy a <!-- STEP --> block and bump the margin-bottom (the rise) so it sits higher than the one before. To change the parts, edit the PART lines under that step. To change the goal, edit the ★ block.
Build A — HTML/CSS staircase
★
End-state market position & capabilities
↑ Capabilities & opportunities
① Quality
'A' Project
TQC for Dealers & Suppliers
② Cost
VIO Project
Parts Reduction
③ Differentiation
Off-Highway
Radio Control
④ Diversification
F&F Project
Time →
Example 2 — Bryan’s strategy (from STRATEGY.md)
★
Confidence & vocation national-band remote work
↑ Capabilities & opportunities
① Simplicity 2025–2026 HQ4
Embody simplicity · simplify home
Healthy-living nudges & habits
Reign in spending
Streamline digital workspaces
Clarify Rule of Life
Fair Play home practices
② Professional Confidence 2026 HQ4 – 2027 HQ4
Establish professional goals
Clarify strength of past work
"Show My Work" pipeline
Daily experimentation
Finish & showcase major work
Network → national bands
③ Personal Confidence
Physical training (MovNat, martial arts)
Meditation certification
Pick up an instrument
Time →
Build B — Mermaid staircase
Edit the labels in the subgraph titles (main efforts), the part nodes (Pxx), and the final GOAL. Reorder by changing the E1 ==> E2 ==> … chain.
flowchart LR
classDef effort fill:#1f2937,stroke:#111,color:#fff,font-weight:bold
classDef part fill:#f3f4f6,stroke:#9ca3af,color:#111
classDef goal fill:#fde68a,stroke:#b45309,color:#111,font-weight:bold
subgraph S1[" "]
direction TB
E1["① Quality"]:::effort
P1a["'A' Project"]:::part
P1b["TQC for Dealers & Suppliers"]:::part
E1 --- P1a --- P1b
end
subgraph S2[" "]
direction TB
E2["② Cost"]:::effort
P2a["VIO Project"]:::part
P2b["Parts Reduction"]:::part
E2 --- P2a --- P2b
end
subgraph S3[" "]
direction TB
E3["③ Differentiation"]:::effort
P3a["Off-Highway"]:::part
P3b["Radio Control"]:::part
E3 --- P3a --- P3b
end
subgraph S4[" "]
direction TB
E4["④ Diversification"]:::effort
P4a["F&F Project"]:::part
E4 --- P4a
end
GOAL["★ End-state<br/>market position / capabilities"]:::goal
E1 ==> E2 ==> E3 ==> E4 ==> GOAL
Example 2 — Bryan’s strategy (from STRATEGY.md)
flowchart LR
classDef effort fill:#1f2937,stroke:#111,color:#fff,font-weight:bold
classDef part fill:#f3f4f6,stroke:#9ca3af,color:#111
classDef goal fill:#fde68a,stroke:#b45309,color:#111,font-weight:bold
subgraph S1["Simplicity · 2025–26 HQ4"]
direction TB
E1["① Simplicity"]:::effort
P1a["Embody simplicity & simplify home"]:::part
P1b["Healthy-living nudges & habits"]:::part
P1c["Reign in spending"]:::part
P1d["Streamline digital workspaces"]:::part
P1e["Clarify Rule of Life"]:::part
P1f["Fair Play home practices"]:::part
E1 --- P1a --- P1b --- P1c --- P1d --- P1e --- P1f
end
subgraph S2["Professional Confidence · 2026–27 HQ4"]
direction TB
E2["② Professional Confidence"]:::effort
P2a["Establish professional goals"]:::part
P2b["Clarify strength of past work"]:::part
P2c["'Show My Work' pipeline"]:::part
P2d["Daily experimentation"]:::part
P2e["Finish & showcase major work"]:::part
P2f["Network to national bands"]:::part
E2 --- P2a --- P2b --- P2c --- P2d --- P2e --- P2f
end
subgraph S3["Personal Confidence"]
direction TB
E3["③ Personal Confidence"]:::effort
P3a["Physical training (MovNat, martial arts)"]:::part
P3b["Meditation certification"]:::part
P3c["Pick up an instrument"]:::part
E3 --- P3a --- P3b --- P3c
end
GOAL["★ Confidence & vocation<br/>national-band remote work"]:::goal
E1 ==> E2 ==> E3 ==> GOAL
Build C — Connected staircase (Komatsu form)
Riffs on Bungay_StrategicStaircase_2.png — tight, overlapping steps climbing to the ★, with sub-projects labeled beside each. Inline SVG: edit the <text> labels and the y of each block to re-grade the climb.
Example 2 — Bryan’s strategy (from STRATEGY.md)
Build D — Flowing main-effort map (Figure 14 form)
Riffs on Bungay_StrategicStaircase_3.png — stage ribbons rising left-to-right, each fed by a column of concrete deliverables below. Edit the band <text> and the four columns of part boxes.
Example 2 — Bryan’s strategy (from STRATEGY.md)
Build E — Conceptual thrust diagram (the “abstract” form)
Riffs on Bungay_StrategicStaircase_1.png — the textbook version: the ★ end-state, the diagonal “thrust line,” and the vertical bar of stable steps “opening up future options.” Edit corner captions and step y values.
Example 2 — Bryan’s strategy (from STRATEGY.md)
Source
Bungay, Stephen. The Art of Action (Quercus, 2011) — Figs. of the strategic staircase and “main effort map.” See Stategic staircase and The Art of Action (by Stephen Bungay) (Readwise).