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  1. Business Model
  • Shorter Loop Help Center
  • Gettting Started
    • How to Get Started With Shorter Loop Easily? Shorter Loop User Onboarding Guide
  • Capabilites
    • Beyond the Double Diamond: The Ultimate End-to-End Product Management Framework with Shorter Loop
    • Discover
      • How to start with Product Discovery?
      • Product Vision
        • How do I access the Product Vision Canvas in Shorter Loop?
        • How do I create and manage personas directly from the Product Vision Canvas?
        • What are the key components of an effective Product Vision Canvas?
        • What are Connected Canvases and how do they work in Shorter Loop?
        • How do I unlink target groups from personas, and what are the implications?
        • How does the AI-powered content generation work in the Product Vision Canvas?
        • How do I define the 'Product' section of the Product Vision Canvas?
        • How do I set effective 'Business Objectives' in the Product Vision Canvas?
        • How should I structure my Vision Statement for maximum impact?
        • How do I collaborate effectively with my team using the Product Vision Canvas?
        • How do I measure the success and impact of my Product Vision Canvas?
        • How can I use colors to highlight and organize cards in the Product Vision Canvas?
      • User Persona
        • How do I access and navigate the User Persona Canvas in Shorter Loop?
        • How do I create a new User Persona from scratch?
        • How do I add and customize demographic fields for my persona?
        • What is the recommended sequence for completing persona key elements?
        • How do I create Value Propositions that address my persona's needs?
        • How do I upload attachments and research files to generate automated insights?
        • How do I share and export User Personas with my team?
        • How to create strategic opportunities from my User Persona insights?
        • How do I effectively name and organize User Personas?
      • Business Model
        • How do I access and start creating my Business Model Canvas in Shorter Loop?
        • Can I collaborate with my team on the same Business Model Canvas?
        • How does the Business Model Canvas integrate with other Shorter Loop discovery tools?
        • What's the difference between the Canvas, Notes, and Experiments tabs in the Business Model section?
        • How do I use the "+ ADD" buttons effectively to build comprehensive business model sections
        • Can I export or share my Business Model Canvas with investors and stakeholders?
        • How does Shorter Loop's Business Model Canvas help me identify new revenue opportunities?
        • What makes Shorter Loop's Business Model Canvas different from free alternatives like Strategyzer?
        • How do I connect my User Persona Canvas with the Business Model Canvas?
      • Feedback Manager
        • How do I access the Feedback Manager in Shorter Loop?
        • What is Shorter Loop's Ideas & Issues system and how does it organize feedback?
        • What does the main Feedback Manager dashboard show me?
        • How do I turn ideas and issues into actionable work items?
        • How do I disconnect or unlink work items from ideas?
        • What information can I see in the work item quick view?
        • How do I filter and sort ideas and issues?
        • How do I create new ideas and issues?
        • How does voting work in the Feedback Manager?
        • What makes Shorter Loop's connected canvas approach unique?
        • How do I manage categories and organize feedback effectively?
        • What are Collections and how do they help organize feedback?
        • How does AI-powered collection generation work?
        • How do I create custom collections manually?
        • What can I do within a collection page?
        • How do I publish and manage collection visibility?
        • How does the AI summarization feature work?
        • How do I create opportunities from collection insights?
        • How does the "Identify more opportunities" feature work?
        • What types of opportunities does the AI identify?
        • How do I convert AI-identified opportunities into actionable work item?
        • How does opportunity status tracking work in Shorter Loop?
        • How does the "Connect to work item" feature integrate with product backlogs?
        • What makes Shorter Loop's opportunity identification unique?
        • How do I manage settings for my Feedback Portal, including custom domains and categories?
        • How do I control and customize the status of Ideas and Issues in Shorter Loop?
        • How can I import existing feedback and invite users to the Feedback Portal?
        • How do I manage and utilize User Segments in Shorter Loop?
        • How to Integrate Slack with Shorter Loop?
        • How do I manage my Shorter Loop profile, connect Slack, and view my voting activity?
    • Strategize
      • Objectives
        • How do I define an experiment's hypothesis and success criteria?
        • How do I set up and track Key Results (OKRs) for an Objective?
        • How do I access the Product Strategy board to get started?
        • How do I navigate between my Objectives, Opportunities, Solutions, and Experiments?
        • What are the different ways I can view and edit the details of a strategic item?
        • How do I create my first Objective?
        • How do I set the strategic "Alignment" to show an Objective's priority?
        • How do I assign Owners and Teams to ensure accountability?
        • What are "Themes" and how can I use them to organize my strategy?
        • How can I add attachments or web links for more context?
        • How do I link an Opportunity to an Objective?
        • How can I see all the work (Opportunities, Solutions, etc.) related to one Objective?
        • What is the Opportunities Map and how do I use it to visualize my strategy?
        • How can I view and manage all experiments related to an objective?
        • How do I update the status of an experiment?
        • How can I see key details like budget and due date on an experiment card?
        • How can I visually track the progress of all work related to an Objective?
        • How can my team collaborate and discuss a specific Objective?
        • How can I use the "Notes" tab for documentation?
        • How can I filter my Strategy Board to find specific items?
        • How can I see the financial upside of an Opportunity?
        • What do the "Spread" and "Intensity" metrics on an Opportunity mean?
        • How do I share or delete a strategic item?
        • How do I use Storymaps and connect my strategy to my roadmap?
  • Product Integrations
    • Jira
      • Set up 2-way Jira Sync with Shorter Loop for Epics, Features, and Stories
      • Why is Shorter Loop a more comprehensive product management solution than Jira?
      • Can feedback be linked to the original Sprint ticket from which the idea was generated?
      • Is there a way to bucketize items by status, like in progress, testing, etc.?
      • How to reopen closed work items and tickets in Shorter Loop and Jira integration?
      • If I have editor access in Shorter Loop but not in JIRA, can I still access or make changes in JIRA through Shorter Loop?
      • If I have access to JIRA but not Shorter Loop, and make changes in JIRA, will it reflect in Shorter Loop?
      • Shouldn't we categorize an issue into development only after linking it to JIRA?
      • So, if we raise an issue in Shorter Loop, will it go and become a ticket in JIRA?
      • Is it possible to see the Jira status of the work item in Shorter Loop?
      • Does the change in status in Shorter Loop make the changes in Jira?
      • How to fix Jira API token authentication issues in Shorter Loop integration?
      • Does Shorter Loop provide nesting like Jira?
      • Is there a visual way to see parent-child work items (like nesting in Jira) at once in Shorter Loop (like a board)?
      • Does Shorter Loop provide freedom to create multiple levels of hierarchy (nesting) in Product Backlog?
      • What’s the difference between nesting in Jira and Shorter Loop?
      • What changes appear in Jira if you delete any work item from Shorter Loop’s Backlog?
  • Using Shorter Loop
    • How to Create a Strategy Board in Shorter Loop?
    • How to Create a Roadmap in Shorter Loop?
    • Does Shorter Loop Support Other weight-based prioritization methods, such as customizing the weights other than effort/value, spread intensity, RICE, etc.?
    • Does Shorter Loop provide migration assistance?
    • How to apply Filters on the Roadmap?
    • How to Save or Share a Roadmap in one Click?
    • How to Build a Product Backlog?
    • Persona Canvas: Understand Your Target Users
    • How to create a Prioritization Matrix? - Shorter Loop
    • How to create a User Story Map? - Shorter Loop
    • How to Create a Document in Shorter Loop? - Shorter Loop
    • How to Collaborate on Digital Whiteboard?
    • How to Use Idea Manager in an End-to-End Product Journey?
    • How to view the version history?
    • How to Share or Delete the particular Whiteboard?
    • How to start with Product Discovery? - Shorter Loop
  • Account Settings
    • Billing & plan management
      • How to Upgrade Your Trial to an Active Plan
      • Can I change my subscription plan after the trial?
      • What happens to my product discovery data during plan changes?
      • How does seat billing work for teams?
      • Can I pause my Shorter Loop subscription?
      • What are the feature limits and restrictions for each plan?
      • How to Upgrade to a Paid Plan? - Shorter Loop
      • How to Upgrade to a Paid Plan?
    • Profile Management
      • Subscription
        • How to access Subscription Settings in Shorter Loop dashboard?
        • What information is displayed in the Subscription Summary section?
        • How to add new products to your Shorter Loop subscription?
        • How to manage users and assign roles in your Shorter Loop subscription?
        • How to view and manage your subscription plan details?
        • How to manage AI & Storage in your Shorter Loop subscription?
        • What user roles are available in Shorter Loop and what are their permissions?
        • How to change your subscription name and logo in Shorter Loop?
        • What user roles are available in Shorter Loop and what are their permissions?
        • How to update payment methods and view billing history in Shorter Loop?
        • How to upgrade or downgrade your Shorter Loop subscription plan?
        • How to remove or deactivate users from your Shorter Loop subscription?
        • What happens when you reach your AI & Storage limit in Shorter Loop?
        • What are the image requirements for profile photos in Subscription Settings?
      • Product
        • How to access Product Settings and manage product-specific configurations?
        • What information is displayed in the Product Summary section?
        • How to manage users and assign roles within a specific product?
        • How does product-level AI & Storage management work compared to subscription-level?
        • What happens when you invite new members to a product vs the subscription?
      • Team
        • How to access and navigate to team management in Shorter Loop?
        • How to create and manage teams within a product?
        • How to manage team members and assign roles within a specific team?
        • How to invite new members to a team and manage bulk operations?
        • How to delete teams and understand the impact on work items?
      • User
        • How to edit and update your user profile settings in Shorter Loop?
        • How to change your email address in Shorter Loop account settings?
        • What is the difference between Display Name and Full Name in Shorter Loop profile settings?
        • How to change your password in Shorter Loop dashboard after login?
        • How to upload and change your profile picture in Shorter Loop?
    • Team Management
      • Adding New Members to Your Shorter Loop
      • What are the different user roles in Shorter Loop and what permissions does each role have?
      • How do I invite new members to my Shorter Loop account?
      • How do I change a team member's role or permissions?
      • How do I add members to specific products in my subscription?
      • How do I manage team members within a specific team?
      • How do I view and manage all members in my account?
      • What's the difference between subscription-level and product-level member access?
      • How do I deactivate or reactivate team members?
      • Can the same person have different roles in different products or teams?
      • What happens when I invite someone who's already in my subscription to a new product or team?
      • Can a subscription member be part of multiple Shorter Loop subscriptions?
  1. Business Model

How do I access and start creating my Business Model Canvas in Shorter Loop?

Accessing your Business Model Canvas is incredibly straightforward and designed for immediate strategic impact. The navigation is intuitively organized to guide you through the complete product discovery process.

Step-by-Step Access:#

Login to your Shorter Loop account at app.shorterloop.com
Locate the left navigation panel on your dashboard (as shown above)
Click on the "Discover" section (represented by the compass icon)
Select "Business Model" from the four discovery options available
Choose "Create Your Business Model" to launch the interactive canvas
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Navigation Structure:#

As you can see in the image, Shorter Loop organizes your workflow into three main sections:
Discover: Product Vision, User Persona, Business Model, and Feedback Portal
Deliver: Implementation and execution tools
Collaborate: Team coordination and communication features
The Business Model option sits perfectly within the Discover section, emphasizing its role as a foundational strategic planning tool that informs all other product decisions.
image.png
Each section of the Business Model Canvas serves a specific strategic purpose.
Here's your comprehensive guide to filling out every section with maximum impact:

1. Key Partners Section#

What It Is:
Your network of suppliers, strategic alliances, and key relationships that help your business function and create competitive advantages.
What to Consider When Adding Partners:
Strategic Value: Does this partner provide capabilities you can't build internally?
Market Access: Do they give you access to customers or markets you couldn't reach alone?
Cost Efficiency: Do they help you reduce costs or risks?
Competitive Advantage: Is this relationship difficult for competitors to replicate?
Types of Partners to Add:
Suppliers: Critical vendors who provide essential resources or services
Strategic Alliances: Companies you collaborate with for mutual benefit
Joint Ventures: Formal partnerships for specific projects or markets
Technology Partners: Platforms or tools that integrate with your offering
Distribution Partners: Companies that help you reach customers
Example Entries:
"Tech Firms for cybersec framework integration"
"CRM Providers for seamless customer integration"
"Marketing Agencies for brand recognition and targeted campaigns"
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What activities could partners perform better than us?
Which partnerships would be most difficult for competitors to replicate?
How can we structure partnerships for mutual long-term value?

2. Key Activities Section#

What It Is:
The most important actions your company must perform to make your business model work effectively.
What to Consider When Adding Activities:
Value Creation: Does this activity directly create customer value?
Competitive Differentiation: Is this something that sets you apart from competitors?
Core Competency: Is this an activity you must excel at to succeed?
Resource Intensity: What resources does this activity require?
Categories of Key Activities:
Production: Creating and manufacturing your product/service
Problem Solving: Developing solutions for customer challenges
Platform/Network: Maintaining and growing your platform or network
Example Entries from the Canvas:
"Develop and maintain a robust CRM system tailored for real estate to enhance lead scoring and sales pipeline management"
"Implement advanced machine learning algorithms for predictive analytics to boost agent performance"
"Conduct regular training sessions and webinars for real estate agents to maximize tool usage and effectiveness"
"Establish a dedicated customer support team to provide real-time assistance and feedback collection from users"
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What activities are absolutely critical to delivering our value proposition?
Which activities create the most customer value per dollar invested?
What activities could we outsource vs. keep in-house?
How can we systematize these activities for scalability?

3. Value Propositions Section#

What It Is:
The core of your business model - the bundle of products and services that create value for specific customer segments.
What to Consider When Adding Value Propositions:
Customer Problem: What specific problem does this solve?
Quantifiable Benefit: Can you measure the value created (time saved, money earned, etc.)?
Differentiation: How is this different from competitor offerings?
Customer Language: Are you using words your customers actually use?
Types of Value to Consider:
Functional Value: What job does your product help customers accomplish?
Emotional Value: How does it make customers feel?
Social Value: What status or identity does it provide?
Economic Value: How does it save money or generate revenue?
Value Proposition Framework:
For [Customer Segment], who [Customer Need/Problem], our [Product/Service] provides [Key Benefit] unlike [Competitive Alternative] because [Unique Differentiator].
Example Structure:
"Realtime insights into market and team performance"
"If you connect an existing value proposition to the business model, these values will be automatically copied from gain creators and pain relievers"
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What outcomes do customers really care about?
How can we quantify the value we provide?
What would customers pay a premium for?
Which value propositions are most defensible against competition?

4. Customer Relationships Section#

What It Is:
The types of relationships you establish and maintain with each customer segment throughout their lifecycle.
What to Consider When Adding Relationships:
Acquisition Strategy: How do you attract new customers?
Retention Approach: How do you keep customers engaged long-term?
Growth Mechanism: How do you expand relationships over time?
Service Level: What level of personal attention does each segment expect?
Relationship Types:
Personal Assistance: Dedicated human support
Dedicated Personal Assistance: Individual account management
Self-Service: Customers serve themselves with provided tools
Automated Services: Personalized services through automation
Communities: User communities and forums
Co-creation: Customers help create value
Example Considerations:
"Self-service" for price-sensitive segments
"Automated services" for scalable personalization
"Co-creation" for innovation-focused customers
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What relationship does each customer segment expect?
How can we automate relationships without losing personal touch?
Which relationships drive the highest lifetime value?
How do relationships evolve as customers mature?

5. Customer Segments Section#

image.png
What It Is:
The different groups of people or organizations your business aims to reach and serve.
What to Consider When Adding Segments:
Segment Size: Is this segment large enough to be profitable?
Accessibility: Can you effectively reach this segment?
Differentiation: Do different segments need different value propositions?
Profitability: Which segments generate the highest margins?
Segmentation Approaches:
Demographic: Age, gender, income, education
Geographic: Location, region, urban vs. rural
Psychographic: Lifestyle, values, personality
Behavioral: Usage patterns, loyalty, benefits sought
Professional: Job role, industry, company size
Example Entries:
"PE-1 SALES AGENT" - Individual performers focused on client relationships
"PE-7 REALTY STRATEGIST" - Strategic planners focused on market expansion
You can also pick from predefined personas like "Product Managers (Strategy Oriented)" or "UX Researchers"
Strategic Questions to Ask:
Who are our most profitable customers?
Which segments are underserved by competitors?
How do different segments prefer to buy and use our product?
Which segments should we prioritize for growth?

6. Channels Section (Center-Right)#

What It Is:
How you communicate with and deliver value to your customer segments - your distribution and communication channels.
What to Consider When Adding Channels:
Channel Effectiveness: Which channels convert best for each segment?
Cost Efficiency: What's the customer acquisition cost per channel?
Customer Preference: How do different segments prefer to interact?
Channel Integration: How do channels work together in the customer journey?
Channel Functions:
Awareness: How customers discover your offering
Evaluation: How customers assess your value proposition
Purchase: How customers buy from you
Delivery: How you deliver value to customers
After-Sales: How you provide ongoing support
Channel Types:
Direct Channels: Your website, sales team, stores
Indirect Channels: Partner stores, distributors, affiliates
Digital Channels: Social media, email, content marketing
Physical Channels: Retail locations, events, direct mail
Example Entries:
"Direct sales team targeting real estate firms"
"Partnerships with real estate associations"
"Targeted digital advertisements on real estate platforms"
Strategic Questions to Ask:
Which channels reach our customers most effectively?
How can we optimize the customer journey across channels?
Which channels provide the best ROI?
How do channels reinforce each other?

7. Key Resources Section (Bottom Left)#

What It Is:
The most important assets required to make your business model work - what you need to create and deliver your value proposition.
What to Consider When Adding Resources:
Critical Necessity: Is this resource absolutely essential to your business model?
Competitive Advantage: Does this resource differentiate you from competitors?
Scalability: How does this resource scale with business growth?
Acquisition Strategy: How will you obtain and maintain this resource?
Resource Categories:
Physical: Buildings, equipment, inventory, distribution networks
Intellectual: Patents, copyrights, brand, proprietary data
Human: Skilled employees, expertise, knowledge
Financial: Cash, credit facilities, stock options
Example Considerations:
"Widget Factory" - Physical manufacturing capability
"Engineering team" - Human expertise for product development
"Patent portfolio" - Intellectual property protection
"Seed capital" - Financial resources for growth
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What resources are most expensive or difficult to obtain?
Which resources create sustainable competitive advantages?
How can we leverage resources more efficiently?
What resources will we need as we scale?

8. Cost Structure Section (Bottom Left)#

What It Is:
All the costs and expenses incurred to operate your business model and deliver your value propositions.
What to Consider When Adding Costs:
Cost Drivers: What activities or resources drive the highest costs?
Fixed vs. Variable: Which costs scale with volume vs. remain constant?
Cost Optimization: Where can you reduce costs without impacting value?
Investment Priorities: Which costs generate the highest returns?
Cost Categories:
Fixed Costs: Rent, salaries, insurance (don't change with volume)
Variable Costs: Materials, commissions, shipping (change with volume)
Direct Costs: Directly attributable to specific products/services
Indirect Costs: Overhead costs shared across the business
Cost Structure Types:
Cost-Driven: Focus on minimizing costs wherever possible
Value-Driven: Focus on creating value, premium pricing
Example Cost Considerations:
"Marketing costs" - Customer acquisition expenses
"Engineering salaries" - Human resource investments
"Server costs" - Technology infrastructure expenses
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What are our largest cost drivers?
Which costs provide the best return on investment?
How do costs change as we scale?
Where can we achieve economies of scale?

9. Revenue Streams Section (Bottom Right)#

What It Is:
How your business generates cash from each customer segment - your monetization strategy.
What to Consider When Adding Revenue Streams:
Value-Based Pricing: Price based on value delivered, not cost
Customer Willingness to Pay: What would customers pay for this value?
Competitive Pricing: How do your prices compare to alternatives?
Revenue Predictability: Are revenues recurring or one-time?
Revenue Model Types:
Asset Sale: Selling ownership of physical products
Usage Fee: Charging for specific service usage
Subscription Fee: Charging for continuous access
Lending/Leasing: Granting temporary use rights
Licensing: Charging for intellectual property use
Brokerage Fee: Charging for intermediation services
Advertising: Charging for promotional opportunities
Revenue Stream Characteristics:
Frequency: One-time vs. recurring
Predictability: Fixed vs. dynamic pricing
Market Mechanism: Fixed pricing vs. negotiation vs. auction
Example Revenue Considerations:
"Subscription sales" - Monthly/annual recurring revenue
"Hourly coaching" - Time-based service fees
"Item sales" - Transaction-based revenue
Strategic Questions to Ask:
What value are customers willing to pay for?
How can we create more predictable revenue streams?
Which revenue streams have the highest margins?
How do different pricing models affect customer behavior?

Pro Tips for Maximum Strategic Impact:#

1. Start with Value Propositions
Begin in the center and work outward. Your value propositions drive everything else.
2. Use the "+ ADD" Buttons Strategically
Don't just fill sections - add items that create strategic coherence across the canvas.
3. Think in Systems
Each section should reinforce the others. Look for connections and synergies.
4. Validate Assumptions
Use the Experiments tab to test critical assumptions from each section.
5. Keep Customer-Centric
Every section should ultimately serve your customer segments better.
6. Iterate Regularly
Your business model should evolve based on market feedback and performance data.
7. Quantify When Possible
Include metrics, percentages, and specific numbers to make your model concrete and measurable.
This comprehensive approach ensures your Business Model Canvas becomes a strategic tool that drives real business decisions and outcomes, not just a planning exercise.
Modified at 2025-06-27 11:09:55
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