Business Model Canvas

Design and analyze business models using Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas and Lean Canvas. Creates structured 9-block canvases for business model innovation, startup validation, and strategic planning.

What is a Business Model Canvas?

A Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing business models. It's a visual chart describing a firm's value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances.

Aspect Business Model Canvas Lean Canvas

Creator Alexander Osterwalder Ash Maurya

Focus Established businesses Startups, early-stage

Emphasis Value creation & delivery Problem-solution fit

Key Difference Key Partners, Key Resources Problem, Solution, Unfair Advantage

The 9 Building Blocks

Business Model Canvas Blocks

┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────┐ │ Key Partners │ Key Activities │ Value │ Customer │ Customer │ │ │ │ Propositions │ Relationships │ Segments │ │ Who helps us? │ What do we do? │ │ │ │ │ │ │ What value do │ How do we │ Who do we │ │ ├─────────────────┤ we deliver? │ interact? │ serve? │ │ │ Key Resources │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─────────────────┤ │ │ │ What do we │ │ Channels │ │ │ │ need? │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ How do we │ │ │ │ │ │ reach them? │ │ ├─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────┤ │ Cost Structure │ Revenue Streams │ │ What does it cost? │ How do we earn? │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────┘

Block Definitions

Block Question Examples

Customer Segments Who are our most important customers? Mass market, Niche, Segmented, Diversified

Value Propositions What value do we deliver? What problems do we solve? Newness, Performance, Customization, Price

Channels How do we reach and deliver to customers? Direct, Indirect, Own, Partner

Customer Relationships How do we interact with each segment? Personal, Automated, Self-service, Communities

Revenue Streams How does each segment pay? Asset sale, Subscription, Licensing, Advertising

Key Resources What do we need to deliver our value proposition? Physical, Intellectual, Human, Financial

Key Activities What must we do well? Production, Problem Solving, Platform/Network

Key Partnerships Who helps us? Strategic alliances, Suppliers, Joint ventures

Cost Structure What are our major costs? Fixed, Variable, Economies of scale/scope

Workflow

Phase 1: Preparation

Step 1: Define Context

Canvas Context

Organization: [Company / Product / Initiative] Purpose: [New business / Innovation / Documentation / Pivot] Scope: [Entire business / Product line / Service] Date: [ISO date] Facilitator: canvas-facilitator

Step 2: Gather Inputs

Before filling the canvas:

• Existing business plans, strategy documents

• Customer research, personas

• Competitive analysis

• Financial data (if documenting existing model)

Phase 2: Fill the Canvas (Right to Left)

Start with Customer Segments (demand side), then move to Value Proposition and infrastructure (supply side).

Step 1: Customer Segments

Customer Segments

Questions to answer:

• For whom are we creating value?
• Who are our most important customers?
• What are their jobs-to-be-done?

Segment Types

Type Description Example

Mass Market Large group, similar needs Consumer electronics

Niche Market Specialized, specific needs Luxury goods

Segmented Distinct segments, related needs Banks (retail vs wealth)

Diversified Unrelated segments Amazon (retail + AWS)

Multi-sided Interdependent segments Platforms (users + advertisers)

Step 2: Value Propositions

Value Propositions

Questions to answer:

• What value do we deliver to each segment?
• Which customer problems are we solving?
• What bundles of products/services do we offer?

Value Proposition Types

Type Description

Newness New, previously unavailable

Performance Better performance

Customization Tailored to needs

Getting the Job Done Helps complete a task

Design Superior design

Brand/Status Status or brand value

Price Lower price

Cost Reduction Reduces customer costs

Risk Reduction Reduces customer risks

Accessibility Makes available to new users

Convenience Easier to use

Step 3: Channels

Channels

Step 4: Customer Relationships

Customer Relationships

Relationship Types

Type Description

Personal Assistance Human interaction

Dedicated Personal Specific rep assigned

Self-Service No direct relationship

Automated Services Automated personalization

Communities User communities

Co-creation Customers help create value

Step 5: Revenue Streams

Revenue Streams

Revenue Types

Type Description Pricing

Asset Sale Selling ownership rights List price, Volume, Negotiation

Usage Fee Pay per use Per unit, Tiered

Subscription Recurring payment Monthly, Annual

Lending/Renting Temporary access Time-based

Licensing Permission to use IP Per license, Royalty

Brokerage Intermediation fee Commission

Advertising Display ads CPM, CPC, CPA

Step 6: Key Resources

Key Resources

Step 7: Key Activities

Key Activities

Step 8: Key Partnerships

Key Partnerships

Partnership Motivations

• Optimization and Economy of Scale - Reduce costs

• Reduction of Risk and Uncertainty - Share risk

• Acquisition of Resources and Activities - Gain capabilities

Step 9: Cost Structure

Cost Structure

Cost Focus: ☐ Cost-Driven ☐ Value-Driven

Phase 3: Analysis and Validation

Step 1: Check Coherence

Check Question Pass?

Value-Customer Fit Does value proposition address segment needs? ☐

Channel-Segment Fit Do channels reach segments effectively? ☐

Revenue-Cost Balance Do revenues exceed costs? ☐

Resource-Activity Alignment Do resources support key activities? ☐

Partnership Logic Do partnerships fill capability gaps? ☐

Step 2: Identify Risks

Business Model Risks

Lean Canvas (Alternative)

For startups and early-stage ventures, use Lean Canvas which replaces some blocks:

BMC Block Lean Canvas Block Why the Change

Key Partners Problem Focus on problem validation

Key Activities Solution Focus on solution validation

Key Resources Key Metrics Measure what matters

Customer Relationships Unfair Advantage Competitive moat

Lean Canvas Template

Lean Canvas: [Product/Startup]

Date: [ISO date] Iteration: [1, 2, 3...]

Problem (Top 3)

1. [Most critical problem]
2. [Second problem]
3. [Third problem]

Existing Alternatives: [How do customers solve this today?]

Customer Segments

Early Adopters: [Who will use first?]

Unique Value Proposition

Single, clear message: [One sentence that explains why you're different and worth attention]

High-Level Concept: [X for Y analogy, e.g., "Uber for dog walking"]

Solution (Top 3 Features)

1. [Feature addressing Problem 1]
2. [Feature addressing Problem 2]
3. [Feature addressing Problem 3]

Channels

[Path to customers - how will you reach early adopters?]

Revenue Streams

[Revenue model, pricing, lifetime value]

Cost Structure

[Customer acquisition costs, hosting, people, etc.]

Key Metrics

[The numbers that tell you how you're doing]

Unfair Advantage

[Something that cannot easily be copied or bought]

Output Formats

Narrative Summary

Business Model Summary: [Organization]

Date: [ISO date] Analyst: canvas-analyst Type: Business Model Canvas / Lean Canvas

Executive Summary

[2-3 sentence summary of the business model]

Customer Focus

• Primary Segment: [Description]
• Value Delivered: [Core value proposition]
• Channels: [Primary channels]

Value Creation

• Key Activities: [Core activities]
• Key Resources: [Critical resources]
• Key Partners: [Strategic partners]

Financial Model

• Revenue Model: [How money is made]
• Cost Structure: [Major cost drivers]
• Unit Economics: [Key metrics]

Risks and Opportunities

Recommendations

1. [Priority recommendation]
2. [Secondary recommendation]

Structured Data (YAML)

business_model_canvas: version: "1.0" date: "2025-01-15" organization: "Acme Corp" analyst: "canvas-analyst" type: "business_model_canvas" # or "lean_canvas"

customer_segments: - name: "SMB Owners" description: "Small business owners seeking efficiency" size: "5M in target market" priority: primary jobs_to_be_done: - "Manage invoicing" - "Track expenses"

value_propositions: - segment: "SMB Owners" proposition: "Automated bookkeeping that saves 10 hours/week" type: convenience differentiation: "AI-powered categorization"

channels: - phase: awareness channel: "Content marketing" type: own effectiveness: high - phase: purchase channel: "Website" type: own effectiveness: high

customer_relationships: - segment: "SMB Owners" type: self_service purpose: retention cost: low

revenue_streams: - segment: "SMB Owners" type: subscription pricing: "fixed" amount: "$29/month" percentage: 85

key_resources: - name: "AI/ML Platform" category: intellectual source: own importance: critical

key_activities: - activity: "Platform development" category: production importance: critical insource: true

key_partnerships: - partner: "Accounting Firms" type: strategic_alliance motivation: acquisition provides: "Referrals, expertise"

cost_structure: focus: value_driven costs: - category: "Engineering" type: fixed percentage: 40 - category: "Cloud hosting" type: variable percentage: 15

validation: value_customer_fit: true channel_segment_fit: true revenue_cost_balance: true

Mermaid Diagram

flowchart TB subgraph Partners["Key Partners"] P1[Partner 1] P2[Partner 2] end

subgraph Activities["Key Activities"]
    A1[Activity 1]
    A2[Activity 2]
end

subgraph Resources["Key Resources"]
    R1[Resource 1]
    R2[Resource 2]
end

subgraph VP["Value Propositions"]
    V1[Value 1]
    V2[Value 2]
end

subgraph CR["Customer Relationships"]
    CR1[Relationship 1]
end

subgraph CH["Channels"]
    CH1[Channel 1]
    CH2[Channel 2]
end

subgraph CS["Customer Segments"]
    CS1[Segment 1]
    CS2[Segment 2]
end

Partners --> Activities
Resources --> VP
Activities --> VP
VP --> CR
VP --> CH
CR --> CS
CH --> CS

subgraph Costs["Cost Structure"]
    C1[Cost 1]
    C2[Cost 2]
end

subgraph Revenue["Revenue Streams"]
    Rev1[Revenue 1]
    Rev2[Revenue 2]
end

When to Use

Scenario Use Business Model Canvas?

New venture planning Yes - full canvas

Startup validation Yes - Lean Canvas preferred

Business model innovation Yes - explore alternatives

Strategic planning Yes - document current state

M&A analysis Yes - compare models

Product line analysis Partial - focused canvas

Integration

Upstream

• stakeholder-analysis - Identify customer segments

• swot-pestle-analysis - Environmental context

• journey-mapping - Customer experience insights

Downstream

• Requirements - Feature requirements from value propositions

• Financial modeling - Revenue and cost projections

• Roadmaps - Initiative prioritization

Related Skills

• stakeholder-analysis

• Customer and partner analysis

• swot-pestle-analysis

• Strategic context

• value-stream-mapping

• Operational efficiency

• capability-mapping

• Organizational capabilities

• decision-analysis

• Business model decisions

Interactive Workflow

Arguments

<business-description> : Description of the business, startup, or initiative to model

--mode : Canvas type (default: bmc )

• bmc : Full Business Model Canvas (~8K tokens)

• lean : Lean Canvas for startups (~6K tokens)

• quick : Rapid single-pass canvas (~3K tokens)

--output : Output format (default: both )

• yaml : Structured YAML for downstream processing

• mermaid : Mermaid diagram visualization

• both : Both formats

--dir : Output directory (default: docs/analysis/ )

Step 1: Parse Arguments

Extract business description, mode, and output format from arguments.

If no description provided, ask the user: "What business, product, or initiative would you like to create a canvas for?"

Default mode is bmc . Default output is both .

Step 2: Load Business Model Canvas Skill

Invoke the business-analysis:business-model-canvas skill to access:

• 9-block canvas structure

• Block definitions and examples

• Value proposition types

• Revenue model patterns

• Lean Canvas adaptations

Step 3: Execute Based on Mode

BMC Mode (Full Business Model Canvas)

Work through all 9 blocks interactively (right-to-left order):

Demand Side (Start Here):

Customer Segments: Who are the most important customers?

• Segment types: Mass market, Niche, Segmented, Diversified, Multi-sided

Value Propositions: What value do we deliver to each segment?

• Value types: Newness, Performance, Customization, Price, Convenience

Channels: How do we reach and deliver to customers?

• Phases: Awareness, Evaluation, Purchase, Delivery, After-sales

Customer Relationships: How do we interact with each segment?

• Types: Personal, Dedicated, Self-service, Automated, Communities

Revenue Streams: How does each segment pay?

• Models: Asset sale, Usage fee, Subscription, Licensing, Advertising

Supply Side:

Key Resources: What do we need to deliver value?

• Types: Physical, Intellectual, Human, Financial

Key Activities: What must we do well?

• Types: Production, Problem Solving, Platform/Network

Key Partnerships: Who helps us?

• Types: Strategic alliances, Coopetition, Joint ventures, Suppliers

Cost Structure: What are major costs?

• Focus: Cost-driven vs Value-driven

After filling all blocks, validate coherence:

• Does value proposition address segment needs?

• Do channels reach segments effectively?

• Do revenues exceed costs?

Lean Mode (Startup Canvas)

Adapted blocks for early-stage ventures:

• Problem (replaces Key Partners): Top 3 problems to solve

• Solution (replaces Key Activities): Top 3 features

• Key Metrics (replaces Key Resources): Numbers that matter

• Unfair Advantage (replaces Customer Relationships): Cannot be copied

Shared blocks: Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Channels, Revenue Streams, Cost Structure

Focus on problem-solution fit and early adopters.

Quick Mode (Rapid Fill)

Single-pass canvas completion:

• Start with value proposition and customer segment

• Infer other blocks from context

• Skip detailed breakdowns

• Generate minimal viable canvas

• Mark assumptions for later validation

Step 4: Generate Output Artifacts

YAML Output

business_model_canvas: version: "1.0" organization: "[Business Name]" date: "[ISO Date]" type: "business_model_canvas" # or "lean_canvas" analyst: "canvas-facilitator"

customer_segments: - name: "[Segment Name]" description: "[Who are they?]" size: "[Market size estimate]" priority: primary # or secondary

value_propositions: - segment: "[Segment Name]" proposition: "[Value delivered]" type: convenience # newness, performance, customization, price, etc. differentiation: "[Why us?]"

channels: - phase: awareness channel: "[Channel name]" type: own # or partner effectiveness: high

customer_relationships: - segment: "[Segment Name]" type: self_service purpose: retention # acquisition, retention, upselling

revenue_streams: - segment: "[Segment Name]" type: subscription pricing: fixed # or dynamic percentage: 80

key_resources: - name: "[Resource]" category: intellectual # physical, intellectual, human, financial source: own importance: critical

key_activities: - activity: "[Activity]" category: production # production, problem_solving, platform importance: critical

key_partnerships: - partner: "[Partner Name]" type: strategic_alliance motivation: acquisition # optimization, risk_reduction, acquisition provides: "[What they provide]"

cost_structure: focus: value_driven # cost_driven or value_driven costs: - category: "[Cost category]" type: fixed # fixed or variable percentage: 40

validation: value_customer_fit: true channel_segment_fit: true revenue_cost_balance: true

Mermaid Output

flowchart TB subgraph Partners["Key Partners"] P1[Partner 1] end

subgraph Activities["Key Activities"]
    A1[Activity 1]
end

subgraph Resources["Key Resources"]
    R1[Resource 1]
end

subgraph VP["Value Propositions"]
    V1[Value 1]
end

subgraph CR["Customer Relationships"]
    CR1[Relationship 1]
end

subgraph CH["Channels"]
    CH1[Channel 1]
end

subgraph CS["Customer Segments"]
    CS1[Segment 1]
end

Partners --> Activities
Resources --> VP
Activities --> VP
VP --> CR
VP --> CH
CR --> CS
CH --> CS

subgraph Costs["Cost Structure"]
    C1[Cost 1]
end

subgraph Revenue["Revenue Streams"]
    Rev1[Revenue 1]
end

Summary Report

Business Model Canvas: [Organization]

Date: [ISO Date] Type: Business Model Canvas / Lean Canvas

Executive Summary

[2-3 sentence summary of the business model]

Customer Focus

• Primary Segment: [Description]
• Value Delivered: [Core value proposition]
• Channels: [Primary channels]

Value Creation

• Key Activities: [Core activities]
• Key Resources: [Critical resources]
• Key Partners: [Strategic partners]

Financial Model

• Revenue Model: [How money is made]
• Cost Structure: [Major cost drivers]
• Unit Economics: [Key metrics]

Risks and Assumptions

Recommendations

1. [Validate assumption X]
2. [Explore channel Y]
3. [Consider partnership Z]

Step 5: Save Results

Save outputs based on format flag:

YAML file:

• docs/analysis/business-model-canvas.yaml

Mermaid diagram:

• docs/analysis/business-model-canvas.md

Use --dir to specify a custom output directory.

Step 6: Suggest Follow-Up Actions

After completing canvas:

Suggested Next Steps

1. Strategic Context: Use /ba:swot-analysis to understand environmental factors
2. Value Stream: Use /ba:value-stream to optimize value delivery
3. Stakeholder Mapping: Use /ba:stakeholder-analyze to identify key relationships
4. Validation Planning: Test riskiest assumptions with customers

Version History

• v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release