How to create the most useful Value Proposition Canvas

David Theil
9 min readAug 21, 2024

Imagine you are faced with the decision to buy a new car. At the dealership you see the parking place of all these shiny cars, everyone looks different but at its core, every car does the same thing: It gets you from point A to point B. But then you ask yourself, why are there so many different types of cars?

There is this compact small car, which is perfect for the narrow streets of a city. On the other hand, we have robust off-road vehicles that can master even the most difficult off-road routes. And there are the futuristic electric cars, which offer comfort and an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional combustion engines.

Each of these cars fulfills the same basic purpose but differs dramatically in the special purpose and their features, designed and targeted to totally different groups. This is where the value proposition canvas comes into play. It helps product managers and product owners explore and understand what specific needs and desires different customer segments have and how to design the right product features to fit these needs perfectly.

Here is an example:

A city car is ideal for a person who must commute to the city regularly and who needs to park in little spaces. On the other hand, an off-road vehicle is aimed at adventurers and people in the countryside, who need a robust vehicle that also works reliably in the forests and on rough roads. The Value Proposition Canvas makes it possible to…

--

--