Startup accelerator

Imagine you're trying to help a specific friend. You need to know everything about them - their age, job, hobbies, what makes them tick. The more detail, the better! Put yourself in their shoes and try to see the world from their perspective.

Map out the customer journey stages:

Think about the key moments in your friend's journey with your product or service. It's like a story with different chapters - from when they first hear about you, to when they're considering options, making a decision, and hopefully, becoming a loyal fan.

Identify customer touchpoints:

Now, list out all the ways your friend interacts with your brand. It could be your website, a store visit, an ad, or a chat with customer service. Don't forget about the less obvious ones too!

Highlight customer actions:

At each touchpoint, what is your friend doing? Are they clicking a button, making a call, or filling out a form? Be specific about their actions, and think about what job they're trying to get done.

Uncover customer emotions:

Here's where empathy really comes in. How is your friend feeling at each stage? Excited? Frustrated? Confused? Use surveys, interviews, and good old-fashioned conversation to get a sense of their emotional state.

Identify customer pain points:

Pay attention to the moments where your friend gets stuck, annoyed, or ready to give up. These are the pain points you need to focus on. Look for patterns across different friends' experiences.

Uncover opportunities for improvement:

Now that you know where the rough patches are, brainstorm ways to smooth them out. Some might be quick fixes, while others might take more time and effort. Prioritize based on what will have the biggest impact on your friend's experience.

You can't do everything at once, so pick the most important changes to make first. Think about what will give you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of making your friend's life easier.

After you've made some changes, check in with your friend to see how it's going. Are they happier? Are they sticking around longer? Are they telling their friends about you? Keep track of the key numbers that show you're making a difference.

Continuously update and optimize the journey map:

Your friend's needs and preferences will change over time, so keep your journey map up to date. Check in regularly, get feedback, and make adjustments as needed. Think of it as an ongoing conversation, not a one-time chat.

What is the purpose of this analysis? What are you trying to evaluate or find? What major challenges are you facing?

The SWOT tool is divided into internal and external factors.

Evaluate the following strategies:

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.

To provide more information share "why". You can add this information to the "Goals and Instructions" area.

Ask yourself, “What else could we use instead?” “How would this change the outcome?” "Can I substitute materials, roles, or tools to improve this?" "What if we used a different technology or resource?" 💫

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍

Look for opportunities to merge ideas, processes, or products to create something new or add value. Think, “What can we blend together?” or “How can elements work better together?”

Can we combine features from different products? What if we integrated this with another service or solution?

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍.

Adapt existing elements to new purposes or contexts. Think about “What similar solutions exist elsewhere?” and “How could they be adjusted to fit our needs?”

Example Questions: How can we adapt an idea from a different industry? What other uses or contexts could this have?

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍.

Experiment with altering size, scope, frequency, or intensity. Imagine, “What if we increased or decreased certain elements?” and “How would scaling this up or down change its impact?”

Example Questions: Can we make it bigger, faster, or stronger? Could we simplify or reduce it without losing value?

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍.

Consider alternative ways this could be applied, beyond its original purpose. Ask, “How else could this serve us?” and “What other problems could this solve?” 🧠🦾🦿

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍.

Focus on streamlining by removing unnecessary components or features. Think, “What’s redundant?” and “What can we do without to simplify?”

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍.

Play with the structure, order, or direction of elements to discover new arrangements. Imagine, “What happens if we do this backward?”“Can the process be rearranged to improve it?”" Can we reverse the order of steps? Could rearranging features make it more intuitive or impactful?" ⏲⌛

Add one idea per sticky note and vote those that you love. 👍.

Add your direct competitor in the red column and substitute competitors inside the black and grey columns.

Follow our 5 dimensions to understand and evaluate your competitors. Product core Size of the user base Design Brand Speed How to monitor your competitors? Go to websites like crunchbase.com and keep track of their funding and the amount of money they have to hire people, invest in marketing, etc. Acquisition and partnership:** Companies they are buying or partnering with. New features:** Go to mention.com , follow your competitors on Angelist, _LinkedIn_, and social media and use google alerts to get notified when new search results are available.

Add any final thoughts on what this means for your competitive advantage and how you might move forward based on areas of low or high ratings.

Place product features and ideas you want to discuss onto the sticky board, and into the correct column. We have two columns: Must-have:** Excluding one of these qualities or features will be negative because the customer/user expects it or because it's very attractive to the customer. Must-avoid:** Excluding one of these qualities or features will be positive.

Before you start defining or discussing your roadmap or timeline, it’s a good idea to spend two minutes organizing it.

Decide how you want to structure it: by quarters, months, or milestones. Choose the top row format that fits your work best — for example, a calendar view, four quarters, or key milestones.

Next, define what each row will represent. It could be:

Once you’ve structured it, you can start adding the activities and initiatives that need to get done one by one.

See How It Works

💬Tip: If you need it, you can keep the top section to mark key milestones or goals — or remove it if it’s not relevant. Delete everything you don’t need.

As time passes, things will naturally change, because the map is not the territory — and that’s fine. The goal is to keep track of the original plan and document the decisions, blockers, and challenges that affected it along the way, so you can learn from them.

To do this, turn the session into a recurring one. When a change happens, duplicate the current session (using the same template) and make updates in the new recurrence. Keep the original version untouched.

Then, add a note summarizing the changes and challenges inside conclusions. Stakeholders will be notified automatically, and they’ll be able to see both the original plan and the updated version — along with the reasons behind each change.

Over time, you’ll build a clear history of how your roadmap/timeline evolved, providing visibility, transparency, and shared learning across all stakeholders.

In the world of marketing, success hinges on your ability to understand and meet the needs of your target audience effectively. Whether you're launching a new product, revitalizing an existing brand, or seeking to outperform your competition, having a well-structured marketing strategy is essential.🥳

The first step towards creating an effective marketing plan is to set clear and inspiring objectives. Every organization measures success differently, so it's essential to tailor your goals to your unique circumstances. Here are some examples to consider:

Try to be specific:

Discuss your objective during the meeting or add the objective inside the " Session Goals and Instructions "

🤓If you need to discuss some ideas, you can scroll up.

Provide insights into your growth strategy and the approach your organization plans to take for the year. A growth strategy is your action plan for gaining a higher market share and expanding your organization. Use this space to address any questions or concerns your team may have.

Tip: A growth strategy is an action plan that will help you get a higher market share and grow your organization. This strategy can be short-term or long-term.

If you are not familiar with the options, check out our card deck "growth strategy"

Watch before you continue.

Discuss and add your strategy to the board. Explore your product and how it satisfies your customers' needs. Engage your team in discussions about user expectations, the purpose of your product, differentiation, design, branding, and more.👉💯 At the core of your marketing strategy is your product or service. This "P" focuses on what you offer, its features, benefits, quality, design, and how it fulfills your customers' needs.

These questions will guide the discussion:

"Promotion" revolves around how you communicate with your target audience. It includes advertising, public relations, sales promotions, social media, and any other tactics to spread the word about your product or service. 🙃Channels: Advertising, Internet marketing, TV or Radio advertising, etc. Discuss and add your strategy to the board.

These questions will guide the discussion:

🤑🤑🤑 Discuss and add your strategy to the board. The "Price" element pertains to the cost of your product or service. It involves pricing strategies, discounts, and considerations related to affordability and value for money.

These questions will guide the discussion:

Discuss and add your strategy to the board. These questions will guide the discussion: Where are you going to offer the product? Do you have an online store? What type of store or product display better represents your product or solution? What distribution channels do you currently have? Is your distribution channel the same one as your competitors? Do you attend trade fairs, visit an online site, or use any type of salesforce?

Discuss and add your strategy to the board. 🤷‍♂‍👨‍🎨👩‍🎤🤵‍♂‍👩‍🌾 Your team members and customer service personnel are a crucial part of the customer experience. The "People" aspect emphasizes the importance of well-trained, customer-focused staff who can enhance your brand's reputation.

These questions will guide the discussion:

Target Audience:

Employees:

Discuss and add your strategy to the board. These questions will guide the discussion: How can you minimize costs and increase profits? How is your team managing the ideation process? What measures do you have in place to improve efficiency? How do you manage your project and keep your team motivated? Explore payment, distribution, ideation, sales, and other processes, and develop your strategy.

Physical evidence is all of the things that will help you become a well-known company, or help users to identify you. Think about things like comfort, usability, design, interface, etc. 🗣👥⏰⚡Sometimes referred to as "Presentation," this "P" is all about tangible aspects that contribute to your brand's image. It includes factors like packaging, branding, store layout, and overall physical presentation.

What elements will help you position your brand and target the right kind of customers or users?

This step is optional.

👉With this template, you can define your final strategy. You can even download it and hang it on your wall.

In this step, add additional information or notes. The team may add their questions here.

Describe your idea, project, or solution here. This description should respond to the questions: What do you do? Try to create a short description. You should be able to say it in less than one minute (the average person speaks somewhere between 120 and 150 words per minute).

What do you want your audience to remember about you? How do you want to be recognized and remembered? What makes people excited about your idea, project, etc.? What makes you excited?

You can develop this one quickly here or open a new session to explore this further using the USP tool. Describe what characteristics make your idea or project appealing to your audience and what is different from the competition.

Now explore and edit your description even further by adding context, the main characteristics of the idea, a call to action, and information to make it interesting.

If you are working on this session with your team, don’t be afraid to take things from your teammates and make your description better. Edit until you are satisfied.

Share your powerpoint presentation here. Add a link here or open the board and add the final document inside the board.

Be clear about what you need to bring your idea to life. What resources do you need to start selling or to be able to offer your solution? Consider staff (payroll), marketing, development, and other expenses (rent, phone, utilities, equipment, fixtures, inventory, improvements, maintenance, tax deposits, marketing budget, etc.)

What relationships do you need to develop to reduce costs or to have more visibility and a competitive advantage over similar solutions?

If you could pay for all the expenses by selling your product or solution, how much will you need to sell?

How much money will you need for testing and to produce the solution beforehand? (Orange section)

If your solution or product is free, how can you justify raising money?

Have a quick brainstorming session with your team to find the best ways to get funding for your idea or project. Could you apply for grants? Should you try to crowdfund, or will you contact business angels? How can each option help you? Would you be able to reach your milestone or get your prototype ready? You can use your sticky note board to brainstorm and cluster similar ideas.

Would Kickstarter or Indiegogo work for you? What similar options do you know? Why and when should you consider this option?

Would you consider finding an investor? If yes, specify under what conditions you may consider it. Do you want an investor who's hands off and provides just capital? Do you want someone in industry that can help connect you with more business? How important is funding vs other investor values and connection?

Find online startup hubs, contact universities, government grants, talk to experts and identify other interesting options. Be specific about how each option could help you and your team.

Add any notes or key suggestions here. Add an action plan or next steps during this step.

Lead generation can be described as the process of attracting prospects and converting them into customers. It coincides with the first step in the buyer’s journey – the awareness phase.

Despite the differences in methods, the goal of sales and marketing remains the same - to win clients, close deals and make sales.

🔥Tip: It's a good idea for new companies or startups to market the problem instead of the product because most potential clients are not aware that they have a problem.

The best lead generation strategy, as well as your overall marketing strategy, often requires thinking about where clients and users learn about you and what information they receive at each phase.

Buyer journey phases 👉 Awareness>Acquisition>Activation...

Identify the channels and strategies you will use to go from "educating users about the problem" to ensure that they buy and recommend your product. Each phase may require different channels. In order to determine which channels would suit your current constraints, ask yourself the following four questions:

As you progress through each stage, decide which stage you will target next. Move to the next step 👇and plan your strategy for one of these phases. For example: If your main goal this quarter is to convert free customers into paying customers and you already have existing free users, then proceed to the next step to develop a plan for growing your revenue.

In order to focus on revenue, you must already have your user activation strategy in place.

At this step, you will focus on one of the phases from the buyer's journey and create a plan to ensure users/potential customers move to the next phase.

Marketing and sales will determine how leads are generated, i.e., whether customers find you (inbound lead generation) or you find them (outbound lead generation).

👉Inbound lead generation:

👉Outbound lead generation:

Define which strategies and channels can work for you by answering the questions inside the whiteboard.

Add your budget and define your goals.

Add final conclusions and notes inside the "conclusion" section.

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?