/lean-canvas

name: lean-canvas
description: "Document your business model on one page and systematically de-risk it. Master Ash Maurya's adaptation of Business Model Canvas optimized for startups and uncertainty. Use when: **Starting a new venture** to articulate and test your business model; **Preparing for customer discovery** to document hypotheses to validate; **Pivoting decisions** to compare alternative business models; **Investor conversations** to communicate your model concisely; **Team alignment** to get everyone on the same page"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"

Lean Canvas

> Document your business model on one page and systematically de-risk it. Master Ash Maurya's adaptation of Business Model Canvas optimized for startups and uncertainty.

When to Use This Skill

• **Starting a new venture** to articulate and test your business model
• **Preparing for customer discovery** to document hypotheses to validate
• **Pivoting decisions** to compare alternative business models
• **Investor conversations** to communicate your model concisely
• **Team alignment** to get everyone on the same page
• **Comparing opportunities** to evaluate multiple ideas systematically

Methodology Foundation

| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | **Source** | Ash Maurya - "Running Lean" (2012), adapted from Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas | | **Core Principle** | "Document your Plan A, identify the riskiest parts, and systematically test them." | | **Why This Matters** | A business plan is a 60-page guess. A Lean Canvas is a 1-page hypothesis you can test in weeks, not months. It replaces planning with learning. |

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures production workflow | Final creative direction | | Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices | | Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards | | Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions | | Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

What This Skill Does

1. **Creates one-page business models** - 9 boxes that capture your entire model 2. **Identifies riskiest assumptions** - Highlights what could kill your business 3. **Prioritizes validation experiments** - Focuses on highest-risk unknowns first 4. **Enables rapid pivots** - Easy to update as you learn 5. **Facilitates communication** - Share your model in 5 minutes 6. **Tracks evolution** - Version control your business model thinking

How to Use

Create a Lean Canvas for a New Idea

Create a Lean Canvas for this business idea: [description]
Fill out all 9 boxes and identify the top 3 riskiest assumptions.

Compare Two Business Models

I'm deciding between two approaches:
Option A: [description]
Option B: [description]

Create Lean Canvases for both and compare them on risk and potential.

Identify What to Validate First

Here's my Lean Canvas: [paste canvas]
What are the riskiest assumptions? Design experiments to test them.

Instructions

When creating or analyzing Lean Canvases, follow this systematic approach:

Step 1: Understand the 9 Boxes

## Lean Canvas Structure

┌──────────────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│                  │                  │                  │
│  2. PROBLEM      │  4. SOLUTION     │ 3. UNIQUE VALUE  │
│  (Top 3)         │  (Top 3 features)│    PROPOSITION   │
│                  │                  │                  │
│                  │                  │ High-level       │
│                  ├──────────────────┤ concept          │
│                  │                  │                  │
│ Existing         │  8. KEY METRICS  │                  │
│ Alternatives     │  (Pirates:       │                  │
│                  │   AARRR)         │                  │
│                  │                  │                  │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────────┤
│                  │                  │                  │
│  9. UNFAIR       │  5. CHANNELS     │ 1. CUSTOMER      │
│     ADVANTAGE    │  (Path to        │    SEGMENTS      │
│  (Can't be       │   customers)     │  (Target users)  │
│   copied)        │                  │                  │
│                  │                  │ Early Adopters   │
│                  │                  │                  │
├──────────────────┴──────────────────┴──────────────────┤
│  7. COST STRUCTURE           │  6. REVENUE STREAMS     │
│  (Fixed + Variable)          │  (Pricing model)        │
└──────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┘

**Key Difference from Business Model Canvas:**

• Replaces Partners/Resources/Activities with Problem/Solution/Key Metrics
• Adds Unfair Advantage
• Focuses on RISK and LEARNING, not operational planning

---

Step 2: Fill Out Each Box (In Order)

**Recommended Order:** Customer Segments → Problem → Unique Value Proposition → Solution → Channels → Revenue → Cost → Key Metrics → Unfair Advantage

## Box-by-Box Guide

### 1. CUSTOMER SEGMENTS
**Question:** Who are you creating value for?

Target customers:
- [Primary segment]
- [Secondary segment if any]

Early Adopters (most important):
- [Specific description of first customers]
- Why they'll buy first: [reason]

Tips:
- Be specific (not "businesses" but "SaaS companies 10-50 employees")
- Identify early adopters who feel the pain most acutely
- If you can't describe them, you can't find them

---

### 2. PROBLEM
**Question:** What problems are you solving?

Top 3 Problems:
1. [Most critical problem]
2. [Second problem]
3. [Third problem]

Existing Alternatives (how they solve it today):
- [Alternative 1]
- [Alternative 2]

Tips:
- List problems from the CUSTOMER's perspective
- If existing alternatives work well, your problem isn't painful enough
- Every problem should be something you've validated (or will validate first)

---

### 3. UNIQUE VALU