Workshop · Positioning
Value Proposition Canvas
Force a match between what we offer and what they need.
Overview
Why run this workshop
What is this workshop?
Osterwalder's Value Proposition Canvas — map customer jobs, pains, gains against your product's pain relievers and gain creators to find fit.
Why is it valuable?
Great products die from weak fit. The canvas makes fit (or its absence) impossible to hide.
When should you use it?
After customer interviews, before writing messaging or planning the next release.
What will you achieve?
A canvas where each pain reliever and gain creator is directly wired to a real customer pain or gain.
Workshop flow
How the session unfolds
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Workshop guide
Facilitator playbook
01Prepare· 10 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · One canvas per segment — never share.
02Brainstorm· 20 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · Jobs (functional, social, emotional).
- · Pains (undesired outcomes, obstacles, risks).
- · Gains (required, expected, desired, unexpected).
03Share· 10 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · Mark pains and gains that matter most to the customer.
04Group· 20 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · Products & services.
- · Pain relievers.
- · Gain creators.
05Discuss· 15 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · Draw a line from each pain reliever to the pain it relieves.
- · Same for gain creators.
06Vote· 10 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · Which 3 fits are most valuable and most defensible?
07Wrap-up· 5 min
Objective
Expected output
Instructions
- · Pains and gains with no matching line = product gaps to consider.
Practice exercise
Apply it now
Practice worksheet
Value Proposition Canvas
Your answers live in your browser during this session. Saving to your project is coming soon.
Completed example
What good looks like
Completed example
Uber (early days)
Job
Get from A to B in the city quickly and safely.
Pain relieved
No taxi in sight, no idea when it's coming.
Gain created
A car arrives in 3 minutes, tracked on a map, paid in-app.
Best practices
Do this, avoid that
Do
- Ground every pain/gain in a real customer quote.
- Draw the fit lines — don't just fill boxes.
- One segment per canvas, always.
Avoid
- Filling the value map first.
- Mixing multiple segments on one canvas.
- Inventing pains you wish customers had.
Deliverables
What participants leave with
- Completed customer profile
- Completed value map with fit lines
- 3 hero fits and a gap list
Continue learning
Where to go next
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