Value Proposition Canvas Template

What this template is for

A value proposition canvas helps you design products that customers actually want by connecting what you offer to what your customers need. This template gives you both halves of the canvas: the Value Map (products and services, gain creators, pain relievers) and the Customer Profile (customer jobs, gains, pains). Use it in early discovery to test whether your offering addresses real customer needs before you build.

When to use this template

• Validate a new product idea by mapping whether your offering addresses documented customer pains and gains.
• Prepare for investor conversations with a clear, one-page view of how your product creates value.
• Run a product strategy session to identify gaps between what you offer and what customers actually need.
• Align sales, marketing, and product teams around a shared view of customer value.
• Revisit the canvas after user interviews to update pain points and jobs with real findings.

How to use it

1. 1Start with the Customer Profile on the right — list the customer jobs (tasks they need to accomplish), gains (desired outcomes), and pains (obstacles and frustrations) before touching the Value Map.
2. 2For customer jobs, write functional tasks ('track project status'), social jobs ('look competent to leadership'), and emotional jobs ('feel in control of my workload').
3. 3List gains your customer desires — expected outcomes, unexpected surprises, or things that would delight them.
4. 4List pains — risks, obstacles, and frustrations your customer experiences before or without your product.
5. 5Now fill in the Value Map: map each product or service to the customer jobs it supports.
6. 6For each pain, identify a pain reliever in your offering. For each gain, identify a gain creator. The strongest value propositions address the most important pains and gains.

Quick example