Product-org-os business-model-canvas

Document Intelligence

This skill supports three modes: Create, Update, and Find.

Mode Detection

Signal	Mode	Confidence
"update", "revise", "add to canvas" in input	UPDATE	100%
File path provided	UPDATE	100%
"create", "new", "map", "canvas" in input	CREATE	100%
"find", "search", "list canvases"	FIND	100%
"the canvas", "our BMC"	UPDATE	85%
Just a product/business name	CREATE	80%

Threshold: >=85% auto-proceed | 70-84% state assumption | <70% ask user

Mode Behaviors

CREATE: Generate a complete 9-block Business Model Canvas using the methodology below.

UPDATE:

1. Check document registry first, then search user's structure
2. Preserve existing blocks and assumptions
3. Update specific blocks with new information
4. Show what changed and how it affects connected blocks
5. Re-validate cross-block consistency

FIND: Check registry, then search user's folders for BMC documents.

Search Locations

• {Product}/Product/

• {Product}/Product/strategy/

• context/documents/index.md

---

Gotchas

• Revenue streams must be specific — 'subscriptions' is a model, not a stream. What subscriptions, at what price?
• Key partnerships must include what each party contributes and receives — one-sided partnerships fail
• Cost structure should distinguish fixed vs. variable costs — this affects scaling strategy

Vision to Value Phase

Phase 1: Strategic Foundation -- Mapping the full business model to understand how value is created, delivered, and captured. Provides the strategic context for all subsequent phases.

Methodology

The Business Model Canvas

<!-- Source: Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur, "Business Model Generation" (2010). The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing business models. Co-created with 470 practitioners from 45 countries. The canvas reduces a complex business model to 9 interconnected building blocks on a single page. --> <!-- Source: Additional canvas thinking from Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Gregory Bernarda & Alan Smith, "Value Proposition Design" (2014). The Value Proposition Canvas zooms into the connection between Customer Segments and Value Propositions. --> <!-- Source: Inspired by phuryn/pm-skills business-model skill structure. -->

The canvas has two sides:

Side	Blocks	Focus
Right side (Value)	Customer Segments, Value Propositions, Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Streams	How value is CREATED and CAPTURED
Left side (Efficiency)	Key Resources, Key Activities, Key Partnerships, Cost Structure	How value is DELIVERED

The bridge: Value Propositions connect the two sides. Everything on the left exists to deliver the promise made on the right.

The 9 Building Blocks

Block 1: Customer Segments

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur, "Business Model Generation" (2010), pp. 20-21. Customer segments define the different groups of people or organizations an enterprise aims to reach and serve. Segmentation types: mass market, niche, segmented, diversified, multi-sided platform. -->

Who are you creating value for? Who are your most important customers?

Segmentation Type	Description	Example
Mass market	No distinction between segments	Consumer electronics
Niche market	Specialized, tailored segments	Luxury watchmaking
Segmented	Slightly different needs/problems	Banking (retail vs private)
Diversified	Unrelated segments with different needs	Amazon (retail + AWS)
Multi-sided	Two+ interdependent segments	Platform businesses

For each segment, identify:

• Demographics / firmographics
• Jobs to be done
• Pains (frustrations, obstacles, risks)
• Gains (desired outcomes, benefits, aspirations)

Block 2: Value Propositions

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 22-25. The Value Proposition describes the bundle of products and services that create value for a specific Customer Segment. Extended in "Value Proposition Design" (2014) with the Value Proposition Canvas: Pain Relievers, Gain Creators, and Products/Services mapped to customer Jobs, Pains, and Gains. -->

What value do you deliver? Which customer problems are you solving? What bundles of products and services do you offer?

Value creation mechanisms:

Mechanism	How It Creates Value
Newness	Satisfying an entirely new set of needs
Performance	Improving product/service performance
Customization	Tailoring to specific needs
Getting the job done	Helping customers get a job done
Design	Superior design/experience
Brand/Status	Value from brand association
Price	Similar value at lower price
Cost reduction	Helping reduce customer costs
Risk reduction	Reducing risks customers face
Accessibility	Making things available to new segments
Convenience	Making things easier/more convenient

Block 3: Channels

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 26-27. Channels describe how a company communicates with and reaches its Customer Segments to deliver a Value Proposition. Channel phases: awareness, evaluation, purchase, delivery, after-sales. -->

How do you reach your customer segments? Through which channels do they want to be reached?

Phase	Question	Examples
Awareness	How do customers learn about you?	Content, ads, PR, word of mouth
Evaluation	How do they evaluate your proposition?	Free trial, demos, reviews
Purchase	How do they buy?	Website, sales team, app store
Delivery	How do you deliver value?	Cloud, shipping, on-site
After-sales	How do you provide support?	Help desk, community, CSM

Own vs Partner channels: Direct (sales force, website) vs Indirect (partner stores, wholesalers, affiliate).

Block 4: Customer Relationships

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 28-29. Customer Relationships describe the types of relationships a company establishes with specific Customer Segments. Motivated by customer acquisition, retention, and upselling. -->

What type of relationship does each segment expect? How costly are they?

Type	Description	When to Use
Personal assistance	Human interaction during/after sales	High-value, complex products
Dedicated personal	Dedicated representative per customer	Enterprise, key accounts
Self-service	No direct relationship, tools provided	Mass market, low-touch
Automated services	Automated + personalized self-service	SaaS, scaled personalization
Communities	User communities for knowledge sharing	Platform, developer tools
Co-creation	Customers participate in value creation	Open source, user-generated content

Block 5: Revenue Streams

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 30-33. Revenue Streams represent the cash a company generates from each Customer Segment. Two types: transaction (one-time) and recurring. Pricing mechanisms: fixed (list, feature-dependent, volume) and dynamic (negotiation, yield, auction, market). -->

For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay? How much does each stream contribute?

Revenue Type	Mechanism	Examples
Asset sale	Selling ownership	Physical products, perpetual licenses
Usage fee	Pay per use	Cloud compute, API calls
Subscription	Recurring access	SaaS, memberships
Lending/Leasing	Temporary access	Equipment, rental
Licensing	Permission to use IP	Patents, brand licensing
Brokerage	Intermediation fee	Marketplace take rate
Advertising	Attention monetization	Media, free-tier products

Block 6: Key Resources

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 34-35. Key Resources describe the most important assets required to make a business model work. Categories: physical, intellectual, human, financial. -->

What key resources does your value proposition require?

Category	Examples
Physical	Manufacturing, buildings, vehicles, systems
Intellectual	Brands, patents, data, proprietary knowledge
Human	Domain experts, engineers, sales team
Financial	Cash, credit lines, stock option pools

Block 7: Key Activities

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 36-37. Key Activities describe the most important things a company must do to make its business model work. Categories: production, problem solving, platform/network. -->

What key activities does your value proposition require?

Category	Focus	Examples
Production	Designing, making, delivering	Manufacturing, software development
Problem solving	Finding solutions for individuals	Consulting, healthcare
Platform/Network	Managing and promoting platform	Platform development, community management

Block 8: Key Partnerships

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 38-39. Key Partnerships describe the network of suppliers and partners that make the business model work. Four types: strategic alliances, coopetition, joint ventures, buyer-supplier. Three motivations: optimization/economy of scale, reduction of risk/uncertainty, acquisition of resources/activities. -->

Who are your key partners? Which key resources come from partners? Which key activities do partners perform?

Partnership Type	Description
Strategic alliances	Non-competitors working together
Coopetition	Strategic partnerships between competitors
Joint ventures	New business developed jointly
Buyer-supplier	Reliable supply chain relationships

Block 9: Cost Structure

<!-- Source: Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010), pp. 40-41. Cost Structure describes all costs incurred to operate a business model. Two broad classes: cost-driven (minimize costs) and value-driven (focus on value creation). Cost characteristics: fixed, variable, economies of scale, economies of scope. -->

What are the most important costs inherent in your business model? Which key resources and activities are most expensive?

Characteristic	Description
Fixed costs	Stay the same regardless of volume
Variable costs	Scale with volume
Economies of scale	Cost advantages from growth
Economies of scope	Cost advantages from breadth

Cost-driven vs Value-driven: Is the model optimized for lowest cost or premium value?

Cross-Block Connections

<!-- Source: The interconnection analysis is what makes the BMC more than a checklist. Osterwalder emphasizes that business model innovation often comes from changing the connections between blocks, not just the content within them. This cross-block analysis approach is adapted from Strategyzer's facilitation methodology. -->

After filling all blocks, analyze connections:

Connection	Question
VP <-> CS	Does the value proposition address the segment's jobs/pains/gains?
VP <-> RS	Is the revenue model aligned with how customers perceive value?
CH <-> CS	Are channels matched to how segments want to be reached?
CR <-> CS	Is the relationship type appropriate for the segment?
KR <-> KA	Do we have the resources to perform the key activities?
KP <-> KR	Which resources come from partners vs internal?
CS <-> RS	Does the cost structure allow profitable revenue from each stream?
VP <-> KA	Are our activities focused on delivering the value proposition?

Assumption Extraction

For each block, identify the key assumption that must hold true:

Block	Assumption Pattern
Customer Segments	"These customers exist in sufficient numbers and are reachable"
Value Propositions	"Customers value this enough to act (buy/switch/adopt)"
Channels	"We can reach customers through these channels cost-effectively"
Revenue Streams	"Customers will pay this amount in this way"
Key Resources	"We can acquire and maintain these resources"
Key Activities	"We can perform these activities at the required quality/speed"
Key Partnerships	"Partners will collaborate on these terms"
Cost Structure	"Our costs allow for viable unit economics"

Output Structure

# Business Model Canvas: [Product/Business Name]

**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Author**: [Name/Role]
**Product**: [Product name]
**Version**: [1.0 / iteration number]
**Related**: [SB-YYYY-NNN, DR-YYYY-NNN]

## Canvas Overview

[2-3 sentences: What this business does, who it serves, and how it makes money. The "elevator pitch" version of the canvas.]

---

## RIGHT SIDE: Value Creation & Capture

### 1. Customer Segments

**Primary segment**: [Segment name]
- Profile: [Who they are]
- Jobs to be done: [What they need accomplished]
- Pains: [Frustrations, obstacles]
- Gains: [Desired outcomes]

**Secondary segment**: [Segment name]
- Profile: [Who they are]
- Jobs / Pains / Gains: [Brief]

**Segment type**: [Mass / Niche / Segmented / Diversified / Multi-sided]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about these segments]

### 2. Value Propositions

**For [Primary Segment]**:
| Product/Service | Pain Reliever | Gain Creator |
|----------------|---------------|--------------|
| [Offering 1] | [What pain it addresses] | [What gain it enables] |
| [Offering 2] | [Pain addressed] | [Gain enabled] |

**Value creation mechanism**: [Newness / Performance / Customization / Price / etc.]
**Differentiator**: [What makes this proposition unique]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about the value proposition]

### 3. Channels

| Phase | Channel | Own/Partner |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| Awareness | [Channel] | [Own / Partner] |
| Evaluation | [Channel] | [Own / Partner] |
| Purchase | [Channel] | [Own / Partner] |
| Delivery | [Channel] | [Own / Partner] |
| After-sales | [Channel] | [Own / Partner] |

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about channel effectiveness]

### 4. Customer Relationships

| Segment | Relationship Type | Purpose |
|---------|------------------|---------|
| [Primary] | [Type] | [Acquisition / Retention / Upsell] |
| [Secondary] | [Type] | [Purpose] |

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about customer relationships]

### 5. Revenue Streams

| Stream | Type | Pricing | Contribution |
|--------|------|---------|-------------|
| [Stream 1] | [Transaction / Recurring] | [Mechanism] | [Primary / Secondary] |
| [Stream 2] | [Transaction / Recurring] | [Mechanism] | [Primary / Secondary] |

**Pricing philosophy**: [Cost-based / Value-based / Competition-based]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about revenue]

---

## LEFT SIDE: Value Delivery (Infrastructure)

### 6. Key Resources

| Resource | Category | Source |
|----------|----------|--------|
| [Resource 1] | [Physical / Intellectual / Human / Financial] | [Internal / Partner] |
| [Resource 2] | [Category] | [Source] |

**Most critical resource**: [Which one, if lost, would break the model]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about resources]

### 7. Key Activities

| Activity | Category | Importance |
|----------|----------|------------|
| [Activity 1] | [Production / Problem Solving / Platform] | [Why critical] |
| [Activity 2] | [Category] | [Why critical] |

**Core competency**: [What must we be BEST at]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about our ability to execute]

### 8. Key Partnerships

| Partner | Type | What They Provide | What We Provide |
|---------|------|-------------------|-----------------|
| [Partner 1] | [Alliance / Coopetition / JV / Buyer-Supplier] | [Their contribution] | [Our contribution] |
| [Partner 2] | [Type] | [Contribution] | [Contribution] |

**Partnership motivation**: [Optimization / Risk reduction / Resource acquisition]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about partnerships]

### 9. Cost Structure

| Cost Item | Type | Relative Size |
|-----------|------|--------------|
| [Cost 1] | [Fixed / Variable] | [Largest / Medium / Small] |
| [Cost 2] | [Fixed / Variable] | [Size] |

**Model type**: [Cost-driven / Value-driven]
**Economies of scale?**: [Yes/No -- where]

> **Key assumption**: [What must be true about cost viability]

---

## Cross-Block Analysis

### Connections That Strengthen the Model
| Connection | Why It Works |
|-----------|-------------|
| [Block A <-> Block B] | [How they reinforce each other] |

### Connections That Need Attention
| Connection | Risk |
|-----------|------|
| [Block A <-> Block B] | [Tension or misalignment identified] |

## Assumptions Summary

| # | Block | Assumption | Confidence | Impact if Wrong |
|---|-------|-----------|------------|-----------------|
| 1 | [Block] | [Assumption] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| 2 | [Block] | [Assumption] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |

**Critical assumptions to validate first**: [Top 2-3 that need `/assumption-map` or `/pretotype`]

## Canvas Evolution Notes

[What would change this canvas? What triggers a revision? Market shifts, customer feedback, competitive moves, or internal capability changes that would require re-mapping.]

Instructions

1. The canvas is a discussion tool, not a document. The best BMCs emerge from conversation, not solo analysis. Ask clarifying questions for blocks where information is thin.
2. Start with the right side (customer-facing). Value Propositions and Customer Segments are the foundation. Don't fill the left side until the right side is clear.
3. Be specific. "Everyone" is not a customer segment. "Great product" is not a value proposition.
4. Every block must have a key assumption stated explicitly. These feed directly into

   /assumption-map

   .
5. The Cross-Block Analysis is where real insight lives. Tensions between blocks often reveal business model risks.
6. For multi-sided platforms, create a separate Value Proposition and Customer Segment entry per side.
7. Save canvases to

   {Product}/Product/

   or

   {Product}/Product/strategy/

   .
8. When updating, highlight which blocks changed and trace the impact on connected blocks.
9. Do NOT fabricate financial figures (revenue estimates, cost numbers). Use "[TBD]" placeholders per the no-estimates rule. The canvas maps the MODEL, not the numbers.
10. Consider offering

    /pretotype

    for critical assumptions identified in the canvas.

Integration

• Feeds into:

  /assumption-map

  (assumptions per block),

  /strategic-bet

  (the canvas supports the bet),

  /business-case

  (canvas informs financial modeling),

  /pricing-strategy

  (Revenue Streams block)
• Feeds from:

  /market-analysis

  (Customer Segments),

  /competitive-landscape

  (differentiation),

  /context-recall

  (existing strategic context)
• Related to but distinct from:

  /business-case

  (financial analysis of a specific decision),

  /business-plan

  (comprehensive operational plan)
• Connects to:

  /positioning-statement

  (Value Proposition informs positioning),

  /gtm-strategy

  (Channels and Customer Relationships inform GTM)

Vision to Value Operating Principle

"A business model is not a business plan. It's a hypothesis about how your organization creates, delivers, and captures value. The canvas makes that hypothesis visible, discussable, and testable."