Ops Business Model Canvas

---
name: "\"ops-business-model-canvas\""
description: "\"Apply the Business Model Canvas (BMC) to map and evaluate business models across nine building blocks. Use this skill when the user needs to design a new business model, evaluate an existing one, compare business model options, or prepare for a strategy session — even if they say 'describe our business model', 'how do we make money', 'fill out a BMC', or 'design a new revenue model'.\"."
allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep
---

# Business Model Canvas

## Framework

```
IRON LAW: All Nine Blocks Must Be Completed and Consistent

The BMC is a SYSTEM — each block depends on others. A value proposition
without a matching customer segment is an invention, not a business.
Revenue streams without cost structure analysis is wishful thinking.
Fill ALL nine blocks and check that they tell a coherent story.
```

### The Nine Building Blocks

| # | Block | Question | Right Side (Value) / Left Side (Efficiency) |
|---|-------|---------|---------------------------------------------|
| 1 | **Customer Segments** | Who are we creating value for? | Right |
| 2 | **Value Propositions** | What value do we deliver? | Center |
| 3 | **Channels** | How do we reach customers? | Right |
| 4 | **Customer Relationships** | How do we interact with customers? | Right |
| 5 | **Revenue Streams** | How do we make money? | Right |
| 6 | **Key Resources** | What do we need to deliver value? | Left |
| 7 | **Key Activities** | What must we do well? | Left |
| 8 | **Key Partnerships** | Who helps us? | Left |
| 9 | **Cost Structure** | What are the major costs? | Left |

### Block-by-Block Guide

**Customer Segments**: List distinct groups with different needs. Mass market? Niche? Multi-sided platform?

**Value Propositions**: For EACH segment, what problem do you solve or need do you fill? Be specific — "quality" is not a value prop. "Same-day delivery of organic groceries" is.

**Channels**: How do customers discover, evaluate, purchase, receive, and get support? Map the full journey.

**Customer Relationships**: Self-service? Personal assistance? Community? Automated? Co-creation?

**Revenue Streams**: For each segment: what do they pay? How? (subscription, transaction, licensing, advertising, freemium)

**Key Resources**: Physical, intellectual (IP, data), human, financial — what's essential?

**Key Activities**: Production? Platform management? Problem solving? Sales?

**Key Partnerships**: Suppliers, strategic alliances, joint ventures. WHY partner? (optimization, risk reduction, resource acquisition)

**Cost Structure**: Fixed vs variable. What are the biggest cost drivers? Cost-driven or value-driven model?

### Analysis Steps

1. Fill all 9 blocks with sticky-note level detail (short phrases)
2. Check CONSISTENCY: Does the value prop match the segment? Do channels reach the segment? Do revenue streams justify the cost structure?
3. Identify RISKS: Which blocks have the most uncertainty? These are your riskiest assumptions.
4. COMPARE: Map current model and proposed new model side by side

## Output Format

```markdown
# Business Model Canvas: {Business}

## Canvas

| Block | Description |
|-------|-----------|
| **Customer Segments** | {who} |
| **Value Propositions** | {what value, for which segment} |
| **Channels** | {how you reach and serve} |
| **Customer Relationships** | {type of relationship} |
| **Revenue Streams** | {how you make money} |
| **Key Resources** | {essential assets} |
| **Key Activities** | {critical operations} |
| **Key Partnerships** | {key partners and why} |
| **Cost Structure** | {major cost categories} |

## Consistency Check
| Connection | Consistent? | Notes |
|-----------|------------|-------|
| Value Prop ↔ Segments | ✓/✗ | {match?} |
| Channels ↔ Segments | ✓/✗ | {reachable?} |
| Revenue ↔ Cost | ✓/✗ | {profitable?} |

## Riskiest Assumptions
1. {block: assumption that needs validation}
```

## Gotchas

- **BMC is a starting point, not an answer**: It structures thinking but doesn't validate assumptions. Each risky block needs Lean Startup-style testing.
- **Revenue model is the hardest block**: "Users will pay" is an assumption. How much? How often? Willing to pay based on what evidence?
- **Multi-sided platforms need separate segments**: Uber has drivers AND riders. Each segment has its own value prop, channels, and revenue model. Map both sides.
- **Don't confuse activities with resources**: "Software development" is an activity. "Engineering team" is a resource. "Source code" is a resource. Separate them.
- **BMC should be a living document**: Review and update quarterly. Business models evolve — the canvas should reflect current reality, not the original plan.

## References

- For value proposition design deep-dive, see `references/value-prop-canvas.md`