What is the difference between a lean canvas and a business model canvas?

The lean canvas replaces boxes such as key partners and key resources with problem, solution, key metrics and unfair advantage, which suit products that are still finding their customers.

Who created the lean canvas?

Ash Maurya, who adapted Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas for startups and described it in his book Running Lean.

Is the lean canvas template free?

Yes. Create a whiteboard in a Starlex project and choose Lean canvas. Signing up is free.

Lean canvas template: a one page business plan

What is a lean canvas?

The lean canvas is a one page business model created by Ash Maurya and adapted from Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas. It is made for new products and startups, where the biggest risk is building something nobody wants. That is why it starts with the problem and the customers rather than with partners and resources.

The nine boxes

Problem: the top one to three problems customers have.
Customers: who has the problem, and who will be first to adopt a solution.
Unique value: one clear message that says why you are different and worth attention.
Solution: the simplest thing that solves each problem.
Channels: how you will reach customers.
Revenue: how you will make money.
Costs: what it costs to reach customers and run the product.
Key metrics: the few numbers that show whether it works.
Unfair advantage: something that cannot easily be copied or bought.

How to fill it in

Start with Problem and Customers. Everything else depends on them.
Write the Unique value next, in the words a customer would use.
Fill in Solution, Channels, Revenue and Costs.
Choose your Key metrics, then be honest about Unfair advantage. It is fine to leave it empty at first.
Mark the riskiest assumption and plan a cheap test for it, such as customer interviews or a landing page.

Example

The example canvas is for a bike repair booking app. The problem: booking a repair takes phone calls. The solution: book a repair slot online. The customers are city commuters who ride every day, the unique value is "your bike fixed this week, booked in a minute", and partnerships with 40 local shops are the unfair advantage. Revenue comes from a booking fee per repair.

Tips

Write a separate canvas for each customer segment. Mixing them hides weak spots.
Keep notes short. One assumption per note makes it easy to test and replace.
Revisit the canvas after every round of customer interviews. It is a living document, and the first version of your MVP plan.

Use this template in Starlex

Open a project, go to Notes, then Whiteboards, choose New whiteboard and pick Lean canvas. To add it to a board you already have, use the board's ⋯ menu.

Everyone in the project can work on the board at once, with live cursors and cursor chat.
Run a timer for silent writing, and use dot voting to choose.
Turn any sticky note into an issue, or bring real issues onto the board as live cards.
Export the board as a PNG or SVG image, or embed it in an issue description.