Lean canvas Template | MURAL

This template focuses entirely on the entrepreneur to help develop strategic business models quickly and concisely. As a problem/solution oriented approach, the lean canvas helps you focus on elements, such as key metrics and competitive advantages, to address a problem.

What is a lean canvas?

A Lean Canvas is a one-page consolidated business plan that contains the same nine prompts for entrepreneurs to answer: problem, solution, key metrics, unique value proposition, unfair advantage, channels, customer segments, cost structure, and revenue streams. (More on each of these prompts below.) 

The lean canvas was created by Ash Maurya. The template provides a straightforward way to evaluate your business opportunities. It helps you break down your business idea into key factors and gives you a visualization of your business idea. It’s also easier for others to read through and give feedback on than a standard business plan.

Who benefits from a lean canvas?

Start-up founders and entrepreneurs‍

This is a quicker approach to laying out a business idea. The lean canvas model can help you speed up your business planning and get ideas in front of potential investors more quickly. 

‍Others involved in the startup process‍

If you have co-founders or other stakeholders involved, the lean canvas approach makes it easy for them to evaluate your idea and add their own input because of the way it’s laid out. It’s more straightforward than a typical 10+ page business plan.

How to create a lean canvas model

To create a lean canvas model, you only need to answer the nine elements. Those are: 

Problem

What is the problem that your brand (and its product or service) solves? 

Solution

The solution your product or service provides that solves the problem(s) you wrote down in the “Problem” step. In other words: Why would someone buy your product? 

Key metrics 

The metrics you can use to measure how successful your business is and whether your product is effective. Key metrics can be a mix of general metrics like “units sold” and more product-specific metrics. For example, if your product is a solution for productivity or time management, one product-specific metric you could measure is “time saved on tasks.” 

Unique value proposition

Your unique value proposition is what makes your brand different from similar brands that already exist. This can help you convince people to buy from your brand instead of a competitor’s. 

Unfair advantage

This is any advantage that your company has over your competitors. Like exclusive partnerships or even your experience. 

Channels

Where you’re going to sell and talk about your product or service. The most common channel is your website or social media. Other examples include live events, an app, and email.

Customer segments

The segments of people you’re targeting with your product or service. These are the people who would get the most value from your brand. 

Cost structure

This includes everything cost related you need to account for, like marketing and promotion, manufacturing or production, technology, and your people. 

Revenue streams

Any source that generates income for your business is a revenue stream. Some common examples are product sales, speaking engagements, and consulting services.

Benefits of the lean canvas template

The Lean Canvas template is the most convenient way to build your Lean Canvas model. 

Straightforward 

When you use the MURAL template, each component already has a designated field, so you can immediately start filling it in. Any entrepreneur or founder can use this template to get their business idea on paper. 

Easy to start

Full business plans are complex, and there’s a lot that goes into them. It can be hard to know where to start, especially for new entrepreneurs. With the MURAL Lean Canvas template, you don’t have to guess where to start — you start with the problem and build out your idea from there.

Effortless collaboration

If there are multiple people putting your business plan together, the MURAL template makes it easy to collaborate with each other by letting you add collaborators and share with anyone who needs access.