Value Proposition Canvas: [Offer] for [Customer segment]
A two-sided description of fit between one customer segment and one
offer. The customer side records the jobs the customer is trying to
get done, the pains that get in the way and the gains they hope for.
The offer side records the products and services, how they relieve
each pain and how they create each gain. The idea follows the Value
Proposition Canvas described in Value Proposition Design
(Osterwalder, Pigneur, Bernarda and Smith, Wiley, 2014); the structure
and wording here are original. Replace every [bracketed] value and
every row marked Example.
Document control
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Document ID | [VPC-YYYY-NN] |
| Customer segment | [Segment, linked to the business model canvas] |
| Offer | [Product or service] |
| Evidence base | [For example: 12 interviews, 3 site visits, support tickets] |
| Version | [0.1] |
| Status | [Draft / Testing / Fit shown / Retired] |
| Owner | [@owner] |
| Reviewers | [@reviewer] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |
Revision history
| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|
| 0.1 | YYYY-MM-DD | [@author] | First draft from interviews |
| 0.2 (Example) | YYYY-MM-DD | [@author] | Pain P2 re-ranked after pilot feedback |
The worked example is Pellwick Repair Co., the fictional furniture
care subscription from the business model canvas
template, for its segment CS-1: office managers at firms of 10 to 80
staff.
1. Segment profile
| Item | Answer | Source |
|---|
| Role | [Job title of the decider] | [Source] |
| Context | [Where and when the jobs happen] | [Source] |
| Example: Role | Office manager, often also handling IT and facilities | 12 interviews |
| Example: Context | Small budget, no facilities team, furniture bought ad hoc | 12 interviews |
2. Customer jobs
| ID | Job | Type | Importance (1 to 5) |
|---|
| J1 | [Job] | [Functional / Social / Emotional] | [1 to 5] |
| J1 (Example) | Keep every workstation usable for staff | Functional | 5 |
| J2 (Example) | Look competent to the managing director | Social | 4 |
| J3 (Example) | Avoid surprise spending in the quarter | Emotional | 3 |
3. Pains
| ID | Pain | Linked job | Severity (1 to 5) | Evidence |
|---|
| P1 | [Pain] | [J-n] | [1 to 5] | [Source] |
| P1 (Example) | Broken chairs sit unused for weeks while quotes are collected | J1 | 5 | 9 of 12 interviews |
| P2 (Example) | Staff complain to the manager about back pain from worn chairs | J2 | 4 | 6 of 12 interviews |
| P3 (Example) | Disposal of old furniture is slow and costs extra | J1 | 3 | 4 of 12 interviews |
4. Gains
| ID | Gain | Linked job | Relevance (1 to 5) | Evidence |
|---|
| G1 | [Gain] | [J-n] | [1 to 5] | [Source] |
| G1 (Example) | A fixed, predictable monthly cost | J3 | 5 | 8 of 12 interviews |
| G2 (Example) | A report to show the director that furniture is in order | J2 | 3 | 3 of 12 interviews |
5. Products and services
- [Product or service]
- Example: Quarterly on-site inspection and repair of all chairs and desks.
- Example: Report-a-fault form with a next-week visit.
- Example: Collection and recycling of furniture that cannot be repaired.
6. Pain relievers
| ID | Pain reliever | Relieves | How it is shown to the customer |
|---|
| PR1 | [Reliever] | [P-n] | [Proof] |
| PR1 (Example) | Fault visits within one week, no quote needed | P1 | Visit log shared with the customer |
| PR2 (Example) | Chairs adjusted to each user at each quarterly visit | P2 | Visit report lists adjustments |
| PR3 (Example) | Collection included in the subscription | P3 | None yet |
7. Gain creators
| ID | Gain creator | Creates | How it is shown to the customer |
|---|
| GC1 | [Creator] | [G-n] | [Proof] |
| GC1 (Example) | Flat per-seat monthly price | G1 | Price page and direct debit |
| GC2 (Example) | One-page condition report after each visit | G2 | Sample report in the proposal |
8. Fit check
| Customer item | Rank | Addressed by | Fit | Evidence of fit |
|---|
| [P-n or G-n] | [Score] | [PR-n or GC-n] | [Strong / Partial / None] | [Source] |
| P1 (Example) | 5 | PR1 | Strong | 31 of 40 pilot offices renewed |
| G1 (Example) | 5 | GC1 | Strong | No price objection in 8 sales calls |
| P2 (Example) | 4 | PR2 | Partial | Not yet measured with staff |
| P3 (Example) | 3 | PR3 | None shown | No collections requested in pilot |
9. Assumptions and tests
| ID | Assumption | Test | Pass rule | Owner | Deadline |
|---|
| VA-001 | [Assumption] | [Test] | [Threshold] | [@owner] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| VA-001 (Example) | Adjusting chairs reduces staff complaints (P2) | Short survey of staff in 5 pilot offices before and after a visit | Complaints fall in 4 of 5 offices | [@product] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| VA-002 (Example) | Customers value collection (P3) | Offer collection as a paid add-on to 20 offices | 4 or more accept | [@founder] | YYYY-MM-DD |
10. Decisions
| Date | Decision | Reason |
|---|
| YYYY-MM-DD | [Decision] | [Evidence] |
| YYYY-MM-DD (Example) | Keep collection in the offer but stop advertising it | P3 ranked 3, no demand in pilot |
11. Related templates
Glossary
- Job: a task, social goal or feeling the customer is trying to achieve.
- Pain: an obstacle, cost or risk linked to a job.
- Gain: an outcome or benefit the customer wants.
- Pain reliever / gain creator: the part of the offer that removes a pain or produces a gain.
- Fit: the top pains and gains are addressed and the customer confirms it through behaviour.
Standard and licence note
Structure aligned with the Value Proposition Canvas created by
Alexander Osterwalder and Strategyzer AG and described in Value
Proposition Design (Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Gregory
Bernarda and Alan Smith, Wiley, 2014). The canvas is published by
Strategyzer; check the licence notice on the copy you download before
you reuse the graphic. This template does not reproduce the canvas graphic or its prompts; the
element names are cited, and the section text, scoring, fit check and
fictional Pellwick example are original, so the template keeps the MIT
licence. For the official canvas, see
https://www.strategyzer.com/library/the-value-proposition-canvas. Check
the current version before use. Template licence: MIT.