--- name: spartan:lean-canvas description: Fill out a 9-block Lean Canvas one block at a time — end with your riskiest assumptions argument-hint: "[product or idea name]" --- # Lean Canvas: {{ args[0] | default: "your idea" }} You are guiding the user through a **Lean Canvas** — one block at a time. This is Ash Maurya's adaptation of the Business Model Canvas, built for startups. Don't rush through it. Each block matters. Challenge weak answers. Ask follow-up questions. --- ## How This Works Walk through all 9 blocks in order. For each block: 1. Explain what it means (one sentence) 2. Ask the user to fill it in 3. Challenge weak answers — push for specifics 4. Move to the next block **Auto mode on?** → Still do each block as a conversation. The user needs to think about each one. Don't just fill it in for them. --- ## Block 1: PROBLEM > What are the top 3 problems your target customer has? Ask the user to list exactly 3 problems. Not 1, not 7 — three. **Push back if:** - Problems are too vague ("it's hard to manage things") - Problems aren't painful enough ("it would be nice if...") - Problems are really solutions in disguise ("they need a dashboard" — that's a solution, what's the problem?) Also ask: **"How do they solve each problem today?"** List the existing alternatives next to each problem. --- ## Block 2: CUSTOMER SEGMENTS > Who has these problems? Be specific. Ask for: - **Target customer:** Describe them. Job title, company size, situation. - **Early adopters:** Who has this problem the WORST? Who would try your product even if it's rough? **Push back if:** - "Everyone" or "all businesses" — that's not a segment - Too broad — "developers" has millions of sub-segments - No early adopter identified — you need to know who your first 10 users are --- ## Block 3: UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION > Single clear message: why are you different and worth buying? This is the hardest block. The UVP must: - Be one sentence - A stranger should understand it in 5 seconds - Say what you do AND why it matters - Not be generic ("best-in-class solution for your needs" — garbage) **Formula:** [End result customer wants] + [specific time period] + [address their objection] **Example:** "Get a clean inbox in 5 minutes a day — no rules to set up" Ask the user to write it. Then test it: **"If I read this on a landing page with no other context, would I get it?"** Rewrite together until it passes the 5-second test. --- ## Block 4: SOLUTION > Top 3 features that solve the top 3 problems. Map each solution to a problem from Block 1: - Problem 1 → Feature A - Problem 2 → Feature B - Problem 3 → Feature C **Push back if:** - More than 3 features — you're overbuilding v1 - Features don't clearly map to problems - Features are "infrastructure" nobody sees — users care about outcomes, not architecture --- ## Block 5: CHANNELS > How do you reach your customers? Ask about each stage: - **Awareness:** How do they find out you exist? (SEO, ads, word of mouth, content, communities) - **Evaluation:** How do they decide to try you? (free trial, demo, reviews, referrals) - **Purchase:** How do they buy? (self-serve, sales call, app store) **Push back if:** - "We'll go viral" — that's not a channel, that's a wish - No specific plan — "social media" means nothing without knowing WHICH platform and WHAT content - Only paid channels with no budget — SEO and content take months, ads take money --- ## Block 6: REVENUE STREAMS > How do you make money? Ask: - **Pricing model:** Subscription? One-time? Usage-based? Freemium? - **Price point:** What would you charge? What are alternatives charging? - **Who pays:** Is the user the buyer, or do they need to convince a boss? **Push back if:** - "We'll figure out monetization later" — at least have a theory - Price is wildly different from alternatives with no justification - Revenue model doesn't match user behavior (charging subscription for something they use once a year) --- ## Block 7: COST STRUCTURE > What does it cost to run this business? Ask about: - **Fixed costs:** Hosting, salaries, tools, subscriptions - **Variable costs:** Per-user costs, API calls, support - **What's most expensive?** Usually it's time (your time building it) Keep it simple. Ballpark numbers are fine at this stage. --- ## Block 8: KEY METRICS > What numbers tell you it's working? Use the **AARRR framework** (Pirate Metrics): | Metric | Question | Your Number | |---|---|---| | **Acquisition** | How many people visit/sign up? | | | **Activation** | How many have a good first experience? | | | **Retention** | How many come back? | | | **Revenue** | How many pay? | | | **Referral** | How many invite others? | | **Push back if:** - Only tracking vanity metrics (page views, followers) - No retention metric — retention is the most important one - Too many metrics — pick 1-2 per stage that matter most --- ## Block 9: UNFAIR ADVANTAGE > What can't be easily copied or bought? Real unfair advantages: - Personal authority / reputation in the space - Network effects (product gets better with more users) - Community / audience you already have - Proprietary data or technology - Domain expertise from years in the industry - Existing relationships with target customers **"Nothing" is an honest answer.** Most startups don't have an unfair advantage yet. That's okay — acknowledge it and figure out how to build one over time. **Push back if:** - "Our technology" — code can be copied - "First mover" — rarely lasts - "Our team" — teams change --- ## Complete Canvas After all 9 blocks, show the complete canvas in a formatted table: ``` ## Lean Canvas: [product name] | PROBLEM | SOLUTION | UVP | | 1. | 1. | | | 2. | 2. | | | 3. | 3. | | | | | | | Existing alternatives| KEY METRICS | UNFAIR ADVANTAGE | | - | | | | - | | | | | | | | CHANNELS | CUSTOMER SEGMENTS | | | - | Target: | | | - | Early adopter: | | | | | | | COST STRUCTURE | REVENUE STREAMS | | | - | Model: | | | - | Price: | | ``` --- ## Top 3 Riskiest Assumptions After showing the canvas, identify the 3 riskiest assumptions. These are things the canvas assumes to be true but haven't been proven yet. For each one: 1. **The assumption:** What are we assuming? 2. **Why it's risky:** What happens if it's wrong? 3. **How to test it:** The cheapest, fastest experiment to validate or kill it **Example:** - **Assumption:** "Freelancers will pay $20/month for this" - **Risk:** Maybe they use free tools and won't pay - **Test:** Put up a landing page with a "Buy" button. See if anyone clicks. Run for 2 weeks. --- **Next step:** Validate your riskiest assumption first. Run `/spartan:interview` to talk to real users, or `/spartan:validate` to score the overall idea.