The Business Model Canvas has proven to be a great way to express the current state of affairs for a startup. A business model canvas is best thought of as a methodology or worksheet to articulate the most important details of a startup in a simple, one page format. One pagers, like the one page strategic plan, are great for aligning people as well as providing clarity.
Here are the pieces of a business model canvas:
- Key partners
- Key activities
- Key resources
- Value proposition
- Customer relationships
- Channels
- Customer segments
- Cost structure
- Revenue streams
Providing short bullet points for each of these items gives a powerful view into the startup while providing details that are similar but more comprehensive compared to an executive summary without the management team section.
What else? What are your thoughts on the business model canvas for startups?
David Cummings on Startups 
I like this – even as a freelancer, they’re areas I will consider to bring a more structured approach to what I do. Thanks!
I think info on the Management Team is huge. What is their industry and entrepreneurial experience? How much have they invested?
couple more:
– what’s the market size? (so 1% of the market would get us $1 billion!)
– what’s the problem and the unique solution that this venture provides?
– how much better is the product / service than what’s currently out there? (10x better? or just 2x?)
– can the company sustain a competitive advantage?
– is their proprietary technology?
David, the idea of Business Model Canvas is completely new to me. Thanks for providing an introduction in the most simplest words. The concept seems very clear to me as I can visualise these different pieces and how they’d interact with each other in an organisation.