Ad-Lib

Value Proposition
Template
Ad-libs are a great way to quickly shape al- objective
ternative directions for your value proposition. Quickly shape potential value proposition directions
They force you to pinpoint how exactly you are outcome
going to creating value. Prototype three to five Alternative prototypes in the form of “pitchable”
different directions by filling out the blanks in the sentences
ad-lib below.

Our _____________ _ Products and Services

help(s) ___________ Customer Segment

who want to
_________________
jobs to be done

by ______ ________ verb (e.g., reducing, avoiding) and a customer pain

and_____ ________. verb (e.g., increasing, enabling) and a customer gain

(unlike ___________ ) competing value proposition

Copyright Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer
www.strategyzer.com/vpd
Customer Jobs
Trigger Questions
Jobs describe the things your customers are trying to get done in their work or in their
life. A customer job could be the tasks they are trying to perform and complete, the
problems they are trying to solve, or the needs they are trying to satisfy.

Use the following trigger questions to help you think of

different potential customer jobs:

1. What is the one thing that your customer couldn’t live without
accomplishing? What are the stepping stones that could help your
customer achieve this key job?

2. What are the different contexts that your customers might be in? How do
their activities and goals change depending on these different contexts?

3. What does your customer need to accomplish that involves interaction

with others?

4. What tasks are your customers trying to perform in their work or personal
life? What functional problems are your customers trying to solve?

5. Are there problems that you think customers have that they may not
even be aware of?

6. What emotional needs are your customers trying to satisfy?

What jobs, if completed, would give the user a sense of self-satisfaction?

7. How does your customer want to be perceived by others? What can your
customer do to help themselves be perceived this way?

8. How does your customer want to feel? What does your customer need to
do to feel this way?

9. Track your customer’s interaction with a product or service throughout

its lifespan. What supporting jobs surface throughout this life cycle?
Does the user switch roles throughout this process?

Copyright Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer www.strategyzer.com/vpd
Customer Pains
Trigger Questions
Pains describe anything that annoys your customers before, during, and after trying
to get a job done or simply prevents them from getting a job done. Pains also describe
risks, that is, potential bad outcomes, related to getting a job done badly or not at all.

Use the following trigger questions to help you think of

different potential customer pains:

1. How do your customers define too costly? Takes a lot of time, costs too
much money, or requires substantial efforts?

2. What makes your customers feel bad? What are their frustrations,
annoyances, or things that give them a headache?

3. How are current value propositions under performing for your customers?
Which features are they missing? Are there performance issues
that annoy them or malfunctions they cite?

4. What are the main difficulties and challenges your customers

encounter? Do they understand how things work, have difficulties
getting certain things done, or resist particular jobs for specific reasons?

5. What negative social consequences do your customers encounter

or fear? Are they afraid of a loss of face, power, trust, or status?

6. What risks do your customers fear? Are they afraid of financial, social,
or technical risks, or are they asking themselves what could go wrong?

7. What’s keeping your customers awake at night? What are their big issues,
concerns, and worries?

8. What common mistakes do your customers make? Are they using

a solution the wrong way?

9. What barriers are keeping your customers from adopting a value

proposition? Are there upfront investment costs, a steep learning curve,
or other obstacles preventing adoption?

Copyright Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer www.strategyzer.com/vpd
Customer Gains
Trigger Questions
Gains describe the outcomes and benefits your customers want. Some gains are
required, expected, or desired by customers, and some would surprise them.
Gains include functional utility, social gains, positive emotions, and cost savings.

Use the following trigger questions to help you think of

different potential customer gains:

1. Which savings would make your customers happy? Which savings in

terms of time, money, and effort would they value?

2. What quality levels do they expect, and what would they wish
for more or less of?

3. How do current value propositions delight your customers? Which specific

features do they enjoy? What performance and quality do they expect?

4. What would make your customers’ jobs or lives easier? Could there be
a flatter learning curve, more services, or lower costs of ownership?

5. What positive social consequences do your customers desire?

What makes them look good? What increases their power or their status?

6. What are customers looking for most? Are they searching for good
design, guarantees, specific or more features?

7. What do customers dream about? What do they aspire to achieve,

or what would be a big relief to them?

8. How do your customers measure success and failure? How do they

gauge performance or cost?

9. What would increase your customers’ likelihood of adopting a

value proposition? Do they desire lower cost, less investment,
lower risk, or better quality?

Copyright Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer www.strategyzer.com/vpd
Pain Relievers
Trigger Questions
Pain relievers describe how exactly your products and services alleviate specific
customer pains. They explicitly outline how you intend to eliminate or reduce some
of the things that annoy your customers before, during, or after they are trying
to complete a job or that prevent them from doing so.

Use the following trigger questions to ask yourself:

Could your products and services…

1. ... produce savings? In terms of time, money, or efforts.

2. ... make your customers feel better? By killing frustrations, annoyances,

and other things that give customers a headache.

3. ... fix under-performing solutions? By introducing new features, better

performance, or enhanced quality.

4. ... put an end to difficulties and challenges your customers encounter?

By making things easier or eliminating obstacles.

5. ... wipe out negative social consequences your customers encounter or

fear? In terms of loss of face or lost power, trust, or status.

6. ... eliminate risks your customers fear? In terms of financial, social, techni-
cal risks, or things that could potentially go wrong.

7. ... help your customers better sleep at night? By addressing significant

issues, diminishing concerns, or eliminating worries.

8. ... limit or eradicate common mistakes customers make? By helping them

use a solution the right way.

9. ... eliminate barriers that are keeping your customer from adopting value
propositions? Introducing lower or no upfront investment costs, a flatter
learning curve, or eliminating other obstacles preventing adoption.

Copyright Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer www.strategyzer.com/vpd
Gain Creators
Trigger Questions
Gain Creators describe how your products and services create customer gains.
They explicitly outline how you intend to produce outcomes and benefits that
your customer expects, desires, or would be surprised by, including functional
utility, social gains, positive emotions, and cost savings.

Use the following trigger questions to ask yourself:

Could your products and services…

1. ... create savings that please your customers? In terms of time,

money, and effort.

2. ... produce outcomes your customers expect or that exceed their

expectations? By offering quality levels, more of something,
or less of something.

3. ... outperform current value propositions and delight your customers?

Regarding specific features, performance, or quality.

4. ... make your customers’ work or life easier? Via better usability,
accessibility, more services, or lower cost of ownership.

5. ... create positive social consequences? By making them look good

or producing an increase in power or status.

6. ... do something specific that customers are looking for? In terms

of good design, guarantees, or specific or more features.

7. ... fulfill a desire customers dream about? By helping them achieve

their aspirations or getting relief from a hardship?

8. ... produce positive outcomes matching your customers’ success and

failure criteria? In terms of better performance or lower cost.

9. ... help make adoption easier? Through lower cost, fewer investments, lower
risk, better quality, improved performance, or better design.

Copyright Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer www.strategyzer.com/vpd
The Value Proposition Canvas

Value Proposition Customer Segment

Gain Creators Gains

Products Customer
& Services Job(s)

Pain Relievers Pains

copyright: Strategyzer AG
The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer strategyzer.com