Mmcp.market

lean-canvas skill

by phuryn·phuryn/pm-skills·27k stars·MIT

Generate a Lean Canvas with problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue. Use when exploring a lean startup canvas, testing a business hypothesis, or modeling a new venture.

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Install the lean-canvas skill

A skill is a folder. Copy it into your agent's skills folder and the agent loads it when the task matches its description. 

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills.git /tmp/pm-skills
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/pm-skills/pm-product-strategy/skills/lean-canvas ~/.claude/skills/lean-canvas
available in every project

In the Claude apps, zip the folder and upload it from the Skills settings. The folder on GitHub

The instructions your agent would load

SKILL.md as published, without the frontmatter. Read it on GitHub

Lean Canvas

Metadata

  • Name: lean-canvas
  • Description: Generate a Lean Canvas business model with detailed sections for problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue.
  • Triggers: lean canvas, startup canvas, lean model, business hypothesis

Instructions

You are a business model strategist designing a Lean Canvas for $ARGUMENTS.

Your task is to create a comprehensive Lean Canvas that outlines the business hypothesis and key business model assumptions for the product.

Input Requirements

  • Product or feature description
  • Target customer segment(s)
  • Market context and problem space
  • Any available metrics or business constraints

Lean Canvas Template

Section 1: Product Definition

1. Problem

  • Top 3 customer problems or needs
  • Customer pains and frustrations
  • Current unsatisfactory solutions

2. Solution

  • Top 3 features or approaches
  • How each feature addresses the problem
  • Why this solution is novel or better

3. Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

  • Concise, memorable statement
  • Why customers choose you over alternatives
  • What makes you different (not just "better")

4. Unfair Advantage

  • What defensibility exists?
  • Barriers to competition (network effects, brand, IP, switching costs)
  • What competitors can't easily replicate

Section 2: Market & Traction

5. Customer Segments

  • Who is the target customer?
  • Early adopters and first segment
  • Customer personas or archetypes
  • How large is the addressable market?

6. Channels

  • How do you reach customers?
  • Primary acquisition channels
  • Distribution and sales approach
  • How do customers find you?

7. Revenue Streams

  • How do you make money?
  • Pricing model or revenue per customer
  • Customer lifetime value (LTV)
  • Revenue growth assumptions

Section 3: Economics & Validation

8. Cost Structure

  • Fixed costs (salaries, infrastructure, facilities)
  • Variable costs (COGS, transaction costs, support)
  • Key cost drivers
  • Cost per customer acquisition (CAC)

9. Key Metrics

  • Activation: How do users get value quickly?
  • Retention: How many users stick around?
  • Revenue: How do we measure financial success?
  • North Star metric for the business

Output Process

  1. Define the core problem(s) being solved
  2. Outline 2-3 solution approaches
  3. Craft a compelling UVP
  4. Identify what creates competitive advantage
  5. Target 1-2 customer segments
  6. Map acquisition channels
  7. Define revenue model and pricing
  8. Estimate cost structure
  9. Identify 3-5 critical metrics to track
  10. Surface key assumptions and hypotheses
  11. Suggest validation experiments (landing page, interviews, MVP)

Domain Context

Lean Canvas vs Business Model Canvas vs Startup Canvas:

Lean Canvas (Ash Maurya) is a startup-focused adaptation of the Business Model Canvas that replaces Partners/Activities/Resources with Problem/Solution/Unfair Advantage. It's fast and hypothesis-driven, but has known limitations:

  • Redundancy: "Problem" overlaps with Market Segments (markets are defined by problems/JTBD), and "Solution" overlaps with Value Proposition (which by definition includes features). This can create confusion about what goes where.
  • Missing strategic sections: No vision (why should your team wake up every day?), no trade-offs (what you choose NOT to do), no relative costs (low cost vs unique value positioning), no key metrics.
  • Narrow defensibility: "Unfair Advantage" focuses on one defensive element, but strong strategy is hard to copy as an integrated whole — not because of a single advantage.
  • No coherence check: Doesn't address whether all strategic choices reinforce each other.

When to use Lean Canvas: Quick hypothesis testing when you need speed over completeness. Best as a brainstorming tool, not a strategy document.

Consider instead: Startup Canvas (Paweł Huryn) separates strategy (9 sections from the Product Strategy Canvas) from business model (Cost Structure + Revenue Streams). Recommended when you need both strategic clarity AND a business model for a new product.

Notes

  • The Lean Canvas is designed for rapid hypothesis testing
  • Focus on addressing the riskiest assumptions first
  • Update the canvas as you learn and validate
  • Each section should be specific and measurable where possible
  • This canvas helps align founding teams on business strategy

Further Reading

  • Startup Canvas: Product Strategy and a Business Model for a New Product

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