✅ Why this step helps you aim true
Before building anything, you need to be clear on what “value” means—for your users, your business, and your team.
This step is about setting Value Goals: the outcomes that matter most. These aren’t features or metrics—they’re the reasons your idea should exist in the first place. A strong set of value goals helps you prioritise, evaluate trade-offs, and stay focused as your idea evolves.
Think of them as your innovation compass.
📘 Key takeaways
- Define what “valuable” looks like from multiple perspectives
- Align your team on goals beyond features or profits
- Spot tensions between user needs, commercial drivers, and technical effort
- Set a reference point for later design and evaluation decisions
🛠️ Tools and methods
- 3-Lens Framework: Value to Users, Value to Business, Value to Team
Explore how each lens frames the purpose of the idea.
- Value Laddering Exercise
Start with user outcomes → trace upward to deeper motivations.
- Dot Voting
Prioritise 3–5 “must-deliver” value goals with your core team.
- Canvas Add-On
If using a Value Proposition Canvas or BMC later, these goals will plug in naturally.
⚠️ Mistakes you can avoid
- Listing features instead of outcomes. "Mobile app" is not a value goal. “Let users track spending effortlessly” is.
- Focusing only on user needs. Great ideas also need internal buy-in and business relevance.
- Setting too many. Aim for 3–5 core goals that drive decisions.
- Skipping team alignment. If your value goals live in one person’s head, they won’t guide the project.
💡 Heuristics worth stealing
“When in doubt, ask: if we delivered this tomorrow, who would care—and why?”
💡 A good value goal should help you say no to tempting distractions later.
🔗 Where to go next
- 📄 Value Goals Worksheet
- 📚 Article: Jobs-to-be-Done vs. Value Goals – what’s the difference?
- 📥 Download: 3-Lens Discussion Cards (Team Workshop Aid)
- 📄 Follow-on: Customer Persona Mapping
✍️ Can you say yes to these?
- Have we defined the core value we hope to deliver?
- Did we explore value from user, business, and team angles?
- Do we agree on what’s most important?
- Can we use these goals to guide future trade-offs?
Illustration: A three-circle Venn diagram labeled “User Value”, “Business Value”, and “Team Value”. In the center overlap is a sticky note titled “Core Value Goals”, with icons like a heart, coin, and gear. A team member is placing a vote dot on one.
Visual shows how multi-lens thinking helps surface meaningful, shared goals early on.