Build your startup

The Value Proposition Canvas is the perfect tool for understanding how customers and users make decisions. It helps you create offers and sales pages that truly appeal to them, allowing you to persuade more effectively by directly addressing their pain points.

👉Objective: Achieve clear problem–solution fit for one or two priority customer segment and turn it into usable messaging (deck/landing page).

Choose a single, concrete segment + situation (job context). Ask: “If we could win only one type of customer this quarter, who is the highest-leverage bet?”

Write it as → Segment Choice = [Who] + [Situation/Trigger] + [Decision-maker role]

(e.g., “10–50p marketing agencies, overwhelmed in approvals, Ops Director”).

If you choose to define two different segments, use a different color sticky note for each one.

List what they’re trying to get done in that situation. Separate Functional, Social, Emotional jobs.

Prompt yourself: “What must they accomplish? How do they want to be seen? How do they want to feel?”

Tag top-priority jobs with ⭐ (most valuable/urgent).

For the starred jobs, capture the pains that block progress: delays, errors, handoffs, tool sprawl, risk of looking bad to clients.

Use → Pain = [What goes wrong] + [Why it hurts] + [Frequency/Severity]. Mark the worst three with 🔥.

Types of User Pains

User pains can generally be categorized into a few broad types:

🛌 Functional Pains: These relate to the specific tasks users are trying to accomplish or the functional problems they encounter with current solutions. Examples include inefficiencies, poor usability, or missing functionality.

🤑 Financial Pains: These concern the costs associated with using a solution — whether monetary, time-related, or resource-intensive. Users may feel a product is too expensive, not worth the cost, or requires too much investment for the return it provides.

💁‍♀️🙋‍♂️🧑‍💼 Social Pains: These involve how a product or service affects a user’s social interactions or status. For example, users might worry about how using a product is perceived by others or feel it doesn’t align with their identity.

❤️ Emotional Pains: These relate to how users feel about their interactions with a product or service. They can include frustration with support, stress from complex interfaces, or anxiety about reliability.

🤫 Process Pains: These occur when existing solutions complicate workflows or processes. Users may be frustrated by poor integrations, steep learning curves, or cumbersome steps required to achieve results.

For the same jobs, write desired outcomes: faster approvals, fewer meetings, clearer ownership, “client sees progress without chasing.”

Use → Gain = [Outcome] + [Metric/Proof] + [Why it matters]. Vote top three.

💼 Functional Gains: These are improvements in how users complete their tasks or achieve their goals. They include increased efficiency, better usability, automation, or added features that simplify their work and make them more effective.

💰 Financial Gains: These relate to direct or indirect economic benefits — saving money, time, or resources. Users may value lower costs, faster ROI, reduced waste, or improved profitability.

💬 Social Gains: These gains enhance how users are perceived by others or how they see themselves. For example, using your product might make them look more professional, innovative, or reliable in their role or community.

💖 Emotional Gains: These focus on how users feel when interacting with your product. They include feelings of confidence, control, satisfaction, pride, or relief that things are finally “under control.”

⚙️ Process Gains: These arise when your solution makes workflows smoother, faster, or more intuitive. Users experience fewer steps, better integrations, clearer collaboration, and improved overall flow.

List the specific capabilities relevant to this segment & context (not your whole product). Then label each one as Gain Creator and/or Pain Reliever with a short “because” clause.

Formula → Feature → (Pain Reliever/Gain Creator) because [mechanism]. Remove anything not tied to a starred pain/gain.

🔗 Make the Fit Map (evidence-based)

For each link, add proof: metric, case, quote, or demo moment.

Ask: “Would a skeptical buyer believe this?” If not, tighten it.

Write 3 options using the formula and pick 1:

“We help [segment] achieve [#1 outcome] without [most hated pain], by [how we uniquely do it].”

Keep it ≤ 25 words. Test the “out loud” rule: if you wouldn’t say it to a friend, rewrite.

🔥Other formulas that you can use:

Type of value:

Create 3 pillars that back your value prop.

For each: Pillar = [Claim] + [Proof] + [Feature tie-in] + [Call-to-action].

Example: “Reduce approval chaos → 40% faster sign-offs (case) → workflow checkpoints → ‘See a live demo’.”

Important: 🧪 Define 3 Lean Tests (prove the fit quickly)

Pick the fastest ways to validate messaging:

Who are our customers, really?

What do our customers truly value?

What jobs are our customers trying to get done?

What pains are our customers experiencing?

What gains are our customers seeking?

How are current solutions underperforming for our customers?

How can we eliminate or reduce customer pains in ways others can’t?

How can we create gains that are superior to the competition?

What’s the minimum viable product (MVP) that would test our new value proposition?

How does our value proposition fit within broader industry trends?

What assumptions are we making about our customers and market?

How scalable is our value proposition?

🔥 These questions are designed to push your thinking and help you uncover new ways to add value for your customers. By exploring these areas thoroughly, you can craft a value proposition that not only meets current market needs but also anticipates and shapes future demand.

Download session data (Excel/CSV) or download the image and paste this into your AI tool to draft assets fast:

“Using this Value Proposition Canvas (segment, jobs, pains/gains, fit map, value prop, pillars), draft a one-page sales deck and a landing section (H1, subhead, 3 bullets, proof bar, CTA). Tone: confident B2B SaaS. Keep copy punchy. Include a short ‘Before vs After’ graphic cue.”

Upload your draft deck/page for review.

This tool was created by Simon Sinek. Watch this video or read his book "Start with why".

Why do you do what you do? What is the purpose of your solution or organization?

How do you do what you do? (Explain your process)

What is the result of your actions?

Start with the core of everything: what real problem do you solve, for whom, and why it matters now. Don’t describe features — describe the change you create. Ask yourself:

Value proposition statement template:

Our [🛵product/service] helps [🙂user type/target segment] who wants to [job to be done] by [verb (like reducing, avoiding)] and [customer pain] and [verb (increasing/enabling) [customer gain] unlike [...]

🎯Type of value:

Functional - Save time/money/effort

Personal - Feel better/ Feel safe

Social - Look good/professional

Entertainment - Smile/Amaze/Fun

✅ Tip: If your statement can’t finish the sentence “Customers pay us because…” — it’s still too vague.

Most people fill this box with vague words like “support” or “community.” That’s not enough.

This block should define how you build trust, maintain engagement, and turn customers into promoters — and it must be designed intentionally, not assumed.

Here’s how to think about it step-by-step:

1 | Clarify the Purpose of the Relationship

Ask yourself:

✅ Tip: Every relationship type should increase the customer’s likelihood of success. If it doesn’t, it’s just noise.

2 | Choose the Relationship Type for Each Segment

Use these five classic relationship archetypes as a starting point — then adapt them to your context:

3 | Map the Relationship to the Customer Journey.

✅ Formula:

Relationship Journey = [Onboarding Experience] + [Retention Routine] + [Expansion Mechanism].

4| Design Moments That Feel Personal & Integrate Relationships Into Operations

Add emotional intention. Customers remember how you made them feel.

Summarize it in one powerful statement: We build [type] relationships with [segment] through [method], to [outcome].

Define the specific groups of customers you serve — and the difference between them.

Avoid generic audiences (“companies,” “SMBs”). Think in jobs, pains, and behaviours:

Use this structure:

👉 Segment = [Type of Customer] + [Core Pain] + [Decision Maker Role] + [Buying Trigger]

Example: “Marketing agencies (10–50 people) that lose time managing multiple clients and projects — Operations Director buys when workload spikes.”

💡 Tip: Focus on the one who signs the contract, not everyone who uses the tool.

Map how customers discover you, evaluate you, and stay with you. Think end-to-end.

Ask yourself:

Use the Customer Journey Formula:

👉 Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → Onboarding → Retention → Referral

Write the main channel(s) for each stage and note which one converts best.

✅ Tip: Double down on channels where trust > reach (referrals > ads).

List what you must do consistently to deliver your promise — not what you “could” do.

Ask yourself:

Use this formula:

👉 Key Activities = [Action] + [Purpose] + [Strategic Impact]

Example: “Design scalable onboarding templates → reduce customer time-to-value → increases retention.”

Then pair each activity with the resources that make it possible:

👉 Resource = [Type] + [Why It’s Critical]

Example: “Team of process designers → ensures every template drives real results.”

💡 Tip: Limit to 3–5 per category — otherwise, you’re listing your to-do list, not your model.

Think strategically: who makes you stronger, cheaper, or faster?

Ask:

Use this formula:

👉 Partner = [Entity] + [What They Provide] + [How It Strengthens Our Model]

Example: “Integration with Notion → adoption channel + credibility.”

✅ Tip: Great partnerships change your economics — if they don’t, they’re just suppliers.

Get brutally clear about where money comes from and where it goes.

Start with:

Then list your key costs — people, tech, marketing — and mark the ones that grow faster than revenue with ⚠️.

Ask: “If revenue doubled, which cost would choke us first?”

✅ Tip: A good model shows leverage — one side grows faster than the other.

Download your canvas and use this AI prompt to turn it into a 1-slide summary you can share with investors or teammates:

“Using this Business Model Canvas, create a clean presentation slide summarizing the 9 blocks, highlighting key insights, and suggesting one area to optimize for growth.”

Upload your deck and share it with your team to confirm accuracy.

✅ Tip: The moment you can explain your model clearly in 60 seconds — you own it.

Look at your completed canvas and ask:

Pick 1 to 3 actions — one to validate, one to improve, one to scale.

Add a new session, and write them as action = [What] + [Why] + [Deadline] and assign them.

✅ Tip: Strategy is iteration — clarity without movement means nothing.

👩‍🎨👩‍🔬👨‍🌾 Define your market.

Focusing on your top 3 or 4 markets (6 max), define their key characteristics.

🧛Define your anti-buyer.

An "antibuyer" is a user who appears to fit within a target segment based on key characteristics but has a critical reason or factor that prevents them from purchasing your product or service. Identifying antibuyers is essential for refining your market targeting and crafting a sales strategy focused on the right customers. By understanding what turns these potential customers away, you can avoid misallocating resources and ensure your efforts are directed toward clients who are a true fit for your offering.

Who would be the early adopter and why?

Early adopter: An early adopter is an individual or business that will use a new product or solution. This user usually is excited about the product or solution and helps companies grow by providing feedback.

Open the board and think about your buyer and anti-buyer.

How would you use this information to better target your buyer? How would you use this infomation to find them? What channels will you use?

💫What characteristics make someone a potential buyer? This will be your sales qualification framework that filters leads based on your ideal customer profile (ICP)

What additional information do you need about each segment? What are you assuming, and what should be tested?

Answer the following questions. Ask yourself how you know the answer, and estimate how accurate your answer actually is.