Value Proposition Canvas
The Value Proposition Canvas helps you design products customers actually want. Learn how to achieve product-market fit by mapping customer needs to your offering.
The Value Proposition Canvas is a strategic tool that helps you ensure your product or service fits what customers actually need. Developed by Alex Osterwalder and the Strategyzer team, it's a companion to the Business Model Canvas and has become the go-to framework for achieving product-market fit.
This guide is part of our Market Positioning series. We'll walk you through the complete framework with real examples from companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Slack.
What Is the Value Proposition Canvas?
The Value Proposition Canvas is a visual framework with two sides that must fit together:
Customer Profile (Right Side)
- Customer Jobs: Tasks they're trying to accomplish
- Pains: Frustrations, obstacles, risks
- Gains: Desired outcomes and benefits
Value Map (Left Side)
- Products & Services: What you offer
- Pain Relievers: How you reduce pains
- Gain Creators: How you create gains
The Goal: Achieve Fit
"Fit" happens when your Value Map (what you offer) directly addresses the most important elements in your Customer Profile (what they need). The stronger the fit, the more likely customers will choose you over alternatives. This is the foundation of product-market fit.
Customer Profile: Understanding Your Customer
The Customer Profile is the most important part of the canvas. Get this right, and everything else follows. Get it wrong, and you'll build something nobody wants.
Customer Jobs
Jobs are what customers are trying to accomplish in their work or life. There are three types:
Functional Jobs
Practical tasks customers want to accomplish
- Create a professional logo
- Build brand guidelines
- Design marketing materials
Social Jobs
How customers want to be perceived by others
- Look credible to investors
- Appear professional to clients
- Stand out from competitors
Emotional Jobs
How customers want to feel
- Feel confident about their brand
- Feel proud of their business identity
- Feel secure in their market position
Customer Pains
Pains are anything that annoys, frustrates, or prevents customers from getting their jobs done:
Undesired Outcomes
Things that frustrate customers or make them feel bad
Obstacles
Things that prevent customers from getting started or slow them down
Risks
Potential negative outcomes customers worry about
Customer Gains
Gains are the outcomes and benefits customers want. They range from basic expectations to delightful surprises:
Required Gains
Minimum expectations without which the solution won't work
- Logo files in usable formats
- Brand colors that work together
- Professional quality output
Expected Gains
Basic gains customers expect, even if not explicitly stated
- Reasonable turnaround time
- Ability to make revisions
- Clear brand guidelines
Desired Gains
Gains that go beyond expectationsâcustomers would love to have these
- Complete brand kit in one place
- Marketing templates included
- Professional results without design skills
Unexpected Gains
Gains customers don't even know they want until you offer them
- AI-powered instant generation
- One-click social media assets
- Automatic brand consistency checks
How to Fill Out the Canvas: Step-by-Step
Start with Customer Jobs
List all the tasks your customer is trying to accomplish. Include functional, social, and emotional jobs. Rank them by importance to the customer.
Interview real customers. Ask: "What are you trying to accomplish? What does a good day look like?"
Identify Customer Pains
List everything that annoys, frustrates, or prevents your customer from getting their jobs done. Include obstacles, risks, and undesired outcomes.
Ask: "What makes this task difficult? What do you worry about? What keeps you up at night?"
Map Customer Gains
List the outcomes and benefits your customer wants to achieve. Include required, expected, desired, and unexpected gains.
Ask: "What would make you happy? What would exceed your expectations? What would be a dream outcome?"
List Your Products & Services
List everything you offer that helps customers get their jobs done. Be specific about features and capabilities.
Focus on what you actually deliver, not marketing claims. Be honest about your current capabilities.
Define Pain Relievers
Describe how your products and services eliminate or reduce customer pains. Be specific about which pains you address.
Not every pain needs to be addressed. Focus on the most important pains for your target customer.
Describe Gain Creators
Describe how your products and services create customer gains. Be specific about which gains you enable.
The best value propositions create unexpected gains that delight customers.
Check for Fit
Compare your Value Map to your Customer Profile. Do your pain relievers address real pains? Do your gain creators enable real gains?
Strong fit = your solution addresses the most important jobs, pains, and gains. Weak fit = you're solving problems customers don't care about.
Real-World Examples
Let's look at how successful companies would fill out their Value Proposition Canvas:
Uber
Customer Profile
Jobs:
- Get from A to B quickly
- Arrive on time for meetings
- Travel safely at night
Pains:
- Waiting for taxis in bad weather
- Not knowing if/when cab will arrive
- Carrying cash, negotiating fares
- Safety concerns with unknown drivers
Gains:
- Predictable arrival times
- Cashless payment
- Know driver details in advance
- Track ride in real-time
Value Map
Products & Services:
- Mobile app
- GPS tracking
- Driver network
- Rating system
- Cashless payment
Pain Relievers:
- See car location in real-time
- Upfront pricing
- Driver ratings and photos
- Automatic payment
Gain Creators:
- ETA shown before booking
- Receipt sent automatically
- Share ride status with friends
- Rate drivers for quality
Fit Analysis: Strong fitâevery major pain is addressed, and gains exceed taxi alternatives
Airbnb
Customer Profile
Jobs:
- Find accommodation for travel
- Stay somewhere comfortable
- Experience local culture
Pains:
- Hotels are expensive
- Hotels feel generic/impersonal
- Hard to find places in residential areas
- Trust issues with strangers' homes
Gains:
- Save money on accommodation
- Unique, authentic experiences
- Feel like a local
- More space than hotels
Value Map
Products & Services:
- Listing platform
- Booking system
- Review system
- Host verification
- Messaging
Pain Relievers:
- Price comparison with hotels
- Verified hosts and reviews
- Photos and descriptions
- Secure payment protection
Gain Creators:
- Local recommendations from hosts
- Unique properties (treehouses, castles)
- Kitchen and living space
- Neighborhood immersion
Fit Analysis: Strong fitâtransforms accommodation from commodity to experience
Slack
Customer Profile
Jobs:
- Communicate with team
- Find information quickly
- Collaborate on projects
Pains:
- Email overload
- Can't find old conversations
- Too many tools to check
- Remote team feels disconnected
Gains:
- Quick responses
- Organized conversations
- All communication in one place
- Team feels connected
Value Map
Products & Services:
- Channels
- Direct messages
- Search
- Integrations
- File sharing
Pain Relievers:
- Searchable history
- Channels reduce email
- Integrations consolidate tools
- Async-friendly communication
Gain Creators:
- Real-time messaging
- Organized by topic
- Custom emoji and GIFs for culture
- 2,000+ app integrations
Fit Analysis: Strong fitâaddresses the core pain of email overload while creating new gains around team culture
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Starting with Your Product
Building the Value Map before understanding the Customer Profile. Always start with the customer.
Fix: Complete the entire Customer Profile (right side) before touching the Value Map (left side).
Listing Features Instead of Jobs
Confusing what your product does with what customers are trying to accomplish.
Fix: Customer jobs should be written from the customer's perspective, not yours. "Create a logo" not "Use our logo generator."
Not Prioritizing
Trying to address every job, pain, and gain equally. You can't do everything well.
Fix: Rank jobs, pains, and gains by importance. Focus your value proposition on the top 3-5 in each category.
Assuming Instead of Validating
Filling out the canvas based on assumptions without talking to real customers.
Fix: Interview at least 10 customers before finalizing your canvas. Update it based on real feedback.
One-Time Exercise
Creating the canvas once and never updating it as you learn more about customers.
Fix: Review and update your canvas quarterly. Customer needs evolve, and so should your understanding.
Free Value Proposition Canvas Template
Download our free template to create your own Value Proposition Canvas. Includes both the canvas and a worksheet with guiding questions.
Value Proposition Canvas vs. Business Model Canvas
The Value Proposition Canvas is a detailed zoom-in on two blocks of the Business Model Canvas: the Value Proposition block and the Customer Segment block. Use them together:
- Business Model Canvas: High-level view of your entire business model (9 blocks)
- Value Proposition Canvas: Deep dive into customer-product fit (detailed view of 2 blocks)
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Value Proposition Canvas and Business Model Canvas?
The Business Model Canvas is a high-level view of your entire business across 9 building blocks. The Value Proposition Canvas zooms in on just two of those blocksâCustomer Segments and Value Propositionâto help you design products that truly fit customer needs. Use the Value Proposition Canvas first to nail product-market fit, then expand to the full Business Model Canvas.
How do I know if I have product-market fit?
Product-market fit happens when your Value Map strongly addresses the most important jobs, pains, and gains in your Customer Profile. Signs of fit include: customers actively seeking you out, high retention rates, organic word-of-mouth growth, and customers getting upset at the thought of losing your product. The Value Proposition Canvas helps you design for fit by making customer needs explicit.
Should I create one canvas per customer segment?
Yes. Each customer segment has different jobs, pains, and gains, so each needs its own Customer Profile. You may have one Value Map that serves multiple segments, or different Value Maps for different segments. Start with your most important customer segment, achieve fit there, then expand to others.
How often should I update my Value Proposition Canvas?
Review your canvas quarterly at minimum, or whenever you learn something new about customers. Customer needs evolve, competitors change, and your understanding deepens over time. The canvas is a living document, not a one-time exercise. Keep validating your assumptions through customer interviews and data.
Can I use this for services, not just products?
The Value Proposition Canvas works equally well for products and services. In the "Products & Services" section, list all the services you offer. The rest of the frameworkâjobs, pains, gains, pain relievers, gain creatorsâapplies exactly the same way. Service businesses often find it especially useful because it forces clarity about the value they provide.
Ready to Design Your Value Proposition?
Once you've mapped your value proposition, bring it to life with a complete brand identity that communicates your unique value at every touchpoint.
Continue Building Your Brand Strategy
The Value Proposition Canvas is part of your complete brand strategy. Explore these related topics to build a comprehensive positioning system.
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The Value Proposition Canvas is part of our comprehensive brand strategy framework. Explore positioning, messaging, and brand expression to build a complete strategy.
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Customer Research
How to Create an Ideal Customer Profile
Define your ideal customer to fill out the Customer Profile section accurately.
Customer Pain Points Framework
Deep dive into identifying and prioritizing customer pains.
Customer Journey Mapping Guide
Map the full customer journey to understand all jobs, pains, and gains.
Founder & CEO of Magnt | Serial Entrepreneur | Startup Advisor
Serial entrepreneur and branding expert. As a serial entrepreneur, he has created 20+ startups and products across various industries, from SaaS platforms to consumer applications. Founder of Magnt, advisor to 100+ startups, and thought leader in AI-powered branding. Helps small businesses create professional brands that rival Fortune 500 companies.