Startup Canvas
Generate a Startup Canvas that merges nine product-strategy sections with cost and revenue blocks when launching or stress-testing a new indie product idea.
Overview
Startup-canvas is an agent skill most often used in Validate (also Idea research and Validate pricing) that generates a Startup Canvas combining nine product-strategy sections with costs and revenue for early-stage produ
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills --skill startup-canvasWhat is this skill?
- Nine-section Product Strategy Canvas plus Cost Structure and Revenue Streams in one artifact
- Explicit Can't/Won't and trade-offs sections missing from classic Business Model Canvas
- Compares Startup Canvas vs BMC vs Lean Canvas with rationale for early-stage products
- Triggered for startup canvas, new product canvas, startup strategy, and startup business model wording
- Separates strategy from business model instead of mixing partnerships/resources into one poster
- Nine product-strategy sections in the Startup Canvas framework
- Two business-model sections: Cost Structure and Revenue Streams
Adoption & trust: 1.2k installs on skills.sh; 12.3k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You are launching a new product but BMC or Lean Canvas mixes strategy and finances without vision, moat tests, trade-offs, or metrics you can actually track.
Who is it for?
Solo builders and indie founders evaluating a startup concept or new SKU who want one canvas that beats generic BMC posters for early focus.
Skip if: Mature product line planning inside large enterprises with fixed partner ecosystems, or when you already have an approved PRD and only need sprint tickets.
When should I use this skill?
User asks for startup canvas, new product canvas, startup strategy, or startup business model for a new product launch or concept evaluation.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You receive a filled Startup Canvas with separated strategy and business-model sections so you can narrow scope, test positioning, and align build priorities before coding.
- Completed Startup Canvas document with strategy and business-model sections
- Documented trade-offs, Can't/Won't, and key metrics for the concept
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Canonical shelf is Validate → scope because the canvas turns a raw concept into bounded strategy, trade-offs, and economics before full build commitment. Scope subphase fits artifacts that define what you will and will not do, key metrics, and business model edges—not just a landing headline.
Where it fits
Compare two indie SaaS ideas on vision, segments, and Can't/Won't before picking one concept to prototype.
Force explicit trade-offs and key metrics so the MVP agent build does not sprawl into partnership busywork.
Attach revenue streams and cost structure to the same canvas used for positioning and landing-page claims.
How it compares
Structured planning skill for Startup Canvas—use instead of dumping the same fields into a one-page Lean Canvas without trade-offs or Can't/Won't.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is startup-canvas for?
Indie founders and product-minded solo builders who need a single strategic artifact before investing in build, ads, or agent implementation plans.
When should I use startup-canvas?
In Idea research when comparing concepts; in Validate scope when locking trade-offs; and in Validate pricing when attaching cost structure and revenue streams to the same canvas.
Is startup-canvas safe to install?
It generates planning text only; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and avoid pasting live secrets into canvas sections.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Startup Canvas
# Startup Canvas ## Metadata - **Name**: startup-canvas - **Description**: Generate a Startup Canvas for a new product. Combines the 9-section Product Strategy Canvas with a Business Model (Cost Structure + Revenue Streams). Designed specifically for startups and new products. - **Triggers**: startup canvas, new product canvas, startup strategy, startup business model ## Domain Context ### Startup Canvas vs Business Model Canvas vs Lean Canvas Popular approaches like Business Model Canvas (Strategyzer) and Lean Canvas (Ash Maurya) mix strategy and business model into one artifact. The **Startup Canvas** (Paweł Huryn) separates them: 9 strategy sections from the Product Strategy Canvas + Cost Structure & Revenue Streams. **Why not Business Model Canvas?** - No vision — why should your team wake up every day? - No Can't/Won't test — what stops competitors from copying you? - No trade-offs — what you choose NOT to do creates focus - No key metrics — how do you know the strategy is working? - Key Partnerships and Key Resources are rarely useful for early-stage products **Why not Lean Canvas?** - Introduces redundancy: "Problem" overlaps with Market Segments (markets are defined by problems), "Solution" overlaps with Value Proposition (which by definition includes features) - No vision, no trade-offs, no relative costs - "Unfair Advantage" is too narrow — the entire strategy should be hard to copy, not just one element - Doesn't address the holistic fit of strategic choices reinforcing each other **When to use which:** - **Business Model Canvas**: Established businesses, corporate strategy, investor materials - **Lean Canvas**: Quick hypothesis testing when you just need speed - **Startup Canvas**: New products where you need both strategic clarity AND a business model — the recommended approach ## Instructions You are a product strategist and startup advisor designing a Startup Canvas for $ARGUMENTS. Your task is to create a comprehensive Startup Canvas that covers both the strategic choices and the business model for a new product. ## Input Requirements - Product or startup idea - Target market and customer insights - Competitive landscape - Founder/team constraints and resources ## Startup Canvas Template ### Part 1: Product Strategy (9 Sections) **1. Vision** - How can we inspire people? What are we aspiring to achieve? What values do we uphold? - Start simple. Your vision will evolve alongside the strategy. **2. Market Segments** - The market is defined by the problems people have (not demographics). - Jobs to Be Done (JTBD), desired outcomes, constraints. - What will be your first customer segment? Why this one first? **3. Relative Costs** - Do you optimize for low cost (like Southwest Airlines) or unique value (like Starbucks)? - Low costs don't necessarily mean low prices. **4. Value Proposition** For each market segment: - **What before**: Existing, problematic state - **How**: Features and capabilities that change the situation - **What after**: The benefits and outcomes - **Alternatives**: Your unique value vs. competitors and substitutes (consider a Value Curve) **5. Trade-offs** - What will you NOT do? Trade-offs create focus and amplify value. - Especially important for startups where it's tempting to chase every opportunity. **6. Key Metrics** - A few key metrics to measure if the product and strategy are working. - North Star Metric and One Metric That Matters (OMTM) for this quarter. **7. Growth** - Product-Led Growth or Sales-Led Growth? - Preferred channels: Social Media, SEO, Influencers, Resellers? **8. Capabilities** - What competencies and resources do you need to acquire? - What