Value Proposition Canvas Template
Make sure your product fits what customers really need. The Value Proposition Canvas puts your offer next to your customers' jobs, pains and gains, so you can see where they match and where they don't.
Free to start · Swiss-made · GDPR compliant
How to use the Value Proposition Canvas template
The Collaboard template places the value map, a square with products and services, gain creators and pain relievers, next to the customer profile, a circle with jobs, gains and pains. Two arrows in the middle point at each other to show where both sides need to fit. Each area has its own deck of notes, so the team can fill the canvas step by step.
Choose one segment
Pick one customer segment. A Value Proposition Canvas works best for one group at a time.
Map the jobs
Add on notes what the customer is trying to get done, including social and emotional jobs.
Add pains and gains
Collect what frustrates the customer and what they hope for, then rank both by importance.
Describe your offer
In the value map, list the products and services your value proposition builds on.
Connect both sides
For each important pain and gain, add a pain reliever or gain creator. Gaps show where the offer doesn't fit yet.
Test with customers
Treat every note as an assumption and check the most important ones in customer interviews.
What is the Value Proposition Canvas?
The Value Proposition Canvas was developed by Alexander Osterwalder and his team at Strategyzer. It zooms in on two building blocks of the Business Model Canvas, customer segments and the value proposition, and shows whether an offer really fits what customers need. When both sides match, you have found a fit.
The six areas of the template
The examples follow one illustrative scenario: a meal kit service for busy parents.
- Customer jobs What the customer is trying to get done. Example: put a healthy dinner on the table on weekdays.
- Pains What annoys them or gets in the way. Example: no time to plan meals and shop.
- Gains What they hope for. Example: dinners the whole family enjoys.
- Products and services What you offer. Example: weekly boxes with recipes and pre-portioned ingredients.
- Pain relievers How the offer removes pains. Example: no planning or shopping needed.
- Gain creators How the offer creates gains. Example: kid-friendly recipes rated by other families.
To see how the value proposition fits into the whole business, continue with the Business Model Canvas.
When to use this template
- Product development Check whether a new product really solves a customer problem.
- Marketing and positioning Find the messages that matter most to a specific audience.
- Start-ups Test assumptions about customers before building too much.
- Innovation workshops Bring product, sales and marketing to one shared view of the customer.
Tips for a good session
- Focus on one segment A canvas for everyone fits no one. Pick one customer segment per canvas.
- Start with the customer Fill in jobs, pains and gains before you think about your product.
- Rank pains and gains Mark which ones matter most, so you focus on what really counts.
- Test with real customers Treat every note as an assumption and check it in interviews.
Why Collaboard
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Choose hosting in Switzerland, Germany or the EU, fully GDPR compliant. Or run Collaboard on your own servers.
Invite anyone with a link
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Made in Switzerland, with real support
Collaboard is developed in Switzerland. When you need help, you talk to people who know the product.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Value Proposition Canvas template free?
Yes, the Value Proposition Canvas template is free to use with a Collaboard account. The free plan includes up to 3 boards and five people per session.
Who developed the Value Proposition Canvas?
The Value Proposition Canvas was developed by Alexander Osterwalder and his team at Strategyzer and described in the book Value Proposition Design in 2014.
How is the Value Proposition Canvas related to the Business Model Canvas?
The Value Proposition Canvas zooms in on two building blocks of the Business Model Canvas, customer segments and value proposition, and looks at them in more detail.
Which side of the Value Proposition Canvas should I fill in first?
Start with the customer profile on the right of the Value Proposition Canvas. Only when you understand the customer's jobs, pains and gains can you design a value map that fits.
Do I need one Value Proposition Canvas per customer segment?
Yes, a Value Proposition Canvas works best for one customer segment at a time. If you serve several segments, create a separate canvas for each.
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