Before you build a product, build meaning

You’ve got an idea. You’re excited. You know people will use it… probably. Maybe you’ve even started sketching features or designing screens. But pause for a second: Do you know what your users are actually trying to accomplish? And more importantly, do you solve a real, painful problem they’re willing to pay for?

That’s where the Value Proposition Canvas comes in. It helps you do one simple but powerful thing: Match what you offer with what people truly need.

What is the Value Proposition Canvas?

The Value Proposition Canvas is a practical tool that helps you design products your customers actually want-by matching what you offer with what they truly need. It was created by Strategyzer (the same team behind the Business Model Canvas), but unlike its broader cousin, the VPC zooms in on just two things:

1. Who your customer is;
2. How your product fits into their world.

If you get this fit right, everything else-marketing, development, even pricing-gets easier. If you don't, no amount of features will save you.

The right side: your customer

This part is all about understanding the real people you’re building for. Not as “users” or “personas,” but as humans trying to get something done. ‍

• Jobs to be done - What tasks are they trying to accomplish? What goals are they chasing? These can be: functional (e.g. send invoices), emotional (e.g. feel in control) or social (e.g. look professional to clients)
• Pains - What's slowing them down, annoying them, or making them anxious? This is what they'd gladly eliminate. ‍
• Gains - What would delight them? What would success look like? These are things they'd love to have even if they're not mission-critical.

Pro tip: Don’t guess. Talk to real users, read reviews of similar products, or dive into community forums. You’ll be surprised by what you learn.

The left side: your product

Now it’s time to reflect on your offer—and how it actually helps. ‍

• Products & services – What exactly are you giving them? A dashboard? A mobile app? An API?
• Pain relievers – How do you address the specific frustrations listed on the left side? ‍
• Gain creators – What new possibilities or wins do you create for them?

The goal is alignment. Your product shouldn’t just “do something”—it should map directly to real jobs, relieve actual pain, or deliver clear wins.

How do you know it’s working?

When the left side (your solution) clearly speaks to the right side (your customer’s world), you’ve got what’s called a value proposition fit. That means you're not just building something cool—you’re building something useful. And that’s how products grow.

Ready to map your own VPC?

We’ve made it easy to get started. Download our free Value Proposition Canvas template—with guided prompts to help you fill it in the right way!

Nice canvas. Now what?

Filling out your Value Proposition Canvas isn’t the end of your planning. It’s the beginning of intentional building. Once you’ve clarified who your product is for and why it matters, your next steps should turn that clarity into action. Test your assumptions with real users. Prioritize features that directly relieve pains or unlock meaningful gains. Let your messaging reflect what users actually care about—not what you hope they’ll care about.

And then comes the hard part: building it right.

That means taking your insights and turning them into real specs, real plans, and real conversations. Whether you're outlining a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to find the right development partner, or drafting a clear Project Initiation Document to align your team, these steps are where clarity becomes momentum. Done right, they protect your timeline, your budget—and your idea.

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If you're not sure where to start, don’t worry—we’ll cover each of these steps in more depth soon.

But if you’re already at that point, and you need a team who speaks both business and code?

You know where to find us!

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