LEAN CANVAS, a canvas business models to STARTUPS
If there is a tool that has caused a sensation in the world of strategy is the famous canvas business models or Business Model Canvas, an interesting tool that helps us to design and innovate on our business model visually … works well in companies established but is the best choice for a startup?
The canvas, described in the essential “Business Model Generation” porA.Osterwalder, canvas, is a great tool for conceptualizing the business model of a company, the starting point for designing new scenarios and models. As we saw in the post “Tools: The canvas business model”, proposes nine blocks on which work our business model:
Canvas-models-of-business-business-model-canvas-Osterwalder
As we see, the business model canvas proposes a structure where on one hand we have the market, the most difficult part of managing, on the other hand we OURCOMPANY, environment, processes and assets. This is quite natural that when applied to a company is baffling and unsuitable to work with entrepreneurs and startups, because what is the business on which we work? Does we are building ?.
In addition, as possibly satisfy itself that has already worked with the canvas, there are some blocks of little use (like relationships), and other blocks which are often “modeled” (activities and key processes) in many types of business model. In short, although elbusiness model canvas is a great tool to work in a startup, maybe it is not intended for this purpose.
THE LEAN CANVAS, merging business models LEAN METHODOLOGY STARTUP
REAL SIMPLE EXAMPLE
On the other hand, how to bring to market a startup is completely different from the strategy for implementation of a consolidated company (sic), and for that have emerged very interesting methodologies such as Lean Startup proposed by Eric Ries in the great “The Lean Startup “(which is in the collection of recommended books for entrepreneurs).
And … is it possible to combine the best of both worlds? The answer is yes. Ash Maurya, who interviewed recently proposed some time ago a method which hybridizes both worlds, and which in my opinion does a great job giving us a tool for startups to design business models: The Lean Canvas
lean-canvas-canvas-model-of-business-lean-startup-ash-maurya
This is similar to the business model canvas canvas, but with some changes, especially in approach:
ALLIANCES -> PROBLEM: A key aspect in any business, especially for a startup, it is be clear about the problem or problems you solve, and so this block appears
KEY ACTIVITIES -> SOLUTION: Similarly, once specified the problem, you should define the main features of the product that will help solve these problems
KEY RESOURCES – KEY> METRIC: For any startup is absolutely critical to define from the outset 3-4 indicators you will use to measure the business model, a key element when swinging.
RELATIONS -> SPECIAL / DIFFERENTIAL ADVANTAGE: This block contains something that is very difficult to make tangible, but nevertheless is the key to any business …. and that the end is usually the key to victory against the competition.
The most important and major change that occurs is not so much but focus block
