✅ Why this step makes sure you're solving the right problem the right way
You’re not just building a product—you’re solving a problem for someone who cares.
The Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) helps you align what you’re offering with what your customer actually wants. It breaks the match into two halves: the Customer Profile and the Value Map. This tool lets you dive deeper into jobs, pains, and gains—so your product isn’t just desirable, but essential.
📘 What you’ll define
- What your customer is trying to get done (jobs)
- The pains they face in doing it now
- The gains they hope to achieve or experience
- How your product reduces those pains
- How your product creates those gains
🛠️ Tools and methods
✅ VPC Completion Checklist
Define 1 primary customer segment (not everyone at once)
List functional, emotional, and social jobs they want to achieve
Document top frustrations, obstacles, or fears (pains)
Capture desired outcomes, benefits, or feelings (gains)
Map product features or services to pain relievers and gain creators
Check for strong links: does what you offer actually solve real problems?
Example Value Proposition Canvas (summary view)
| Customer Profile | Value Map |
| Jobs: Setup industrial IoT device, get alerts, avoid downtime | Products/Services: Plug-and-play device, mobile dashboard |
| Pains: Hard setup, missed alerts, long support calls | Pain Relievers: Auto-setup, instant notifications, live chat |
| Gains: Quick win, less downtime, manager praise | Gain Creators: Real-time performance data, easy reporting |
- Use sticky notes or templates to fill out the canvas collaboratively
- Combine with insights from interviews, testing, and market research
⚠️ Pitfalls to avoid
- Using vague terms like “user-friendly” without specifics
- Listing features as value—focus on the outcome it enables
- Trying to serve too many segments with one proposition
- Not testing the canvas with real users—assumption ≠ fit
💡 From customer-led teams
“We thought users wanted more control—but they just wanted fewer steps. The canvas helped us rethink the value of simplicity.”– UX Strategist, Hardware–SaaS Platform
💡 A good value proposition isn’t just exciting—it’s relevant and practical.
🔗 Helpful links & resources
- Value Proposition Canvas Template
- Download: VPC–BMC Integration Guide
- Article: How to Find Product–Market Fit with the Value Proposition Canvas
- Follow-on: MVP Planning
✍️ Quick self-check
Have we clearly defined customer jobs, pains, and gains?
Do our product features directly relieve those pains or create those gains?
Is this proposition clear, compelling, and specific to the segment?
Have we tested this canvas against real user insight?
🎨 Visual concept (optional)
Illustration: A split canvas showing “Customer Profile” (left) and “Value Map” (right). Sticky notes for “Missed alerts” and “Needs simplicity” align with “Real-time dashboard” and “Auto-config setup”. A checkmark shows the fit.
Visual shows how the Value Proposition Canvas ensures what you build is exactly what your customer needs—and values.