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:

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

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.

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

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.

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

Step-by-Step Access:#

Navigation Structure:#

1. Key Partners Section#

2. Key Activities Section#

3. Value Propositions Section#

4. Customer Relationships Section#

5. Customer Segments Section#

6. Channels Section (Center-Right)#

7. Key Resources Section (Bottom Left)#

8. Cost Structure Section (Bottom Left)#

9. Revenue Streams Section (Bottom Right)#

Pro Tips for Maximum Strategic Impact:#

Step-by-Step Access:

Navigation Structure:

1. Key Partners Section

2. Key Activities Section

3. Value Propositions Section

4. Customer Relationships Section

5. Customer Segments Section

6. Channels Section (Center-Right)

7. Key Resources Section (Bottom Left)

8. Cost Structure Section (Bottom Left)

9. Revenue Streams Section (Bottom Right)

Pro Tips for Maximum Strategic Impact: