Business Model Canvas

Overview

The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a one-page strategic tool that maps every element of how your business works. For solopreneurs, the standard BMC needs one critical addition: a Time & Energy block, because your scarcest resource isn't money — it's you. This playbook walks you through filling every block, validating the connections between them, and finding the weaknesses before the market does.

Fill these steps in order. Each block informs the next. Do not skip around.

Step 1: Customer Segments

Question: Who exactly are you serving?

• Be specific. Not "small businesses." Define 1-3 tight segments.
• For each segment: size estimate, pain level, budget, and how they currently solve the problem.
• Rank segments by: pain intensity × willingness to pay × reachability.
• Your primary segment (the one you build for first) should score highest across all three.

Step 2: Value Propositions

Question: What specific value do you deliver to each segment?