If you are working on a startup or a new business idea, you might have heard about the Lean Canvas. It is a tool that helps entrepreneurs to quickly visualize and validate their business model. One of the key components of the Lean Canvas is the high-level concept.
But what is a high-level concept in Lean Canvas?
A high-level concept is a brief and clear statement that describes what your product or service represents. It is the essence of your business idea, distilled into a few words that can be easily communicated and understood by anyone. The high-level concept is located in the top left corner of the Lean Canvas, right below the Unique Value Proposition (UVP).
Here are some key points to keep in mind about the high-level concept:
- The high-level concept should be short and memorable. It should be something that people can easily remember and repeat to others.
- The high-level concept should be focused on the problem you are solving. It should communicate the main benefit of your product or service in a simple and clear way.
- The high-level concept should be unique and differentiated. It should communicate what sets your product or service apart from the competition.
To create a high-level concept for your business idea, you need to answer the following questions:
- What is the problem you are solving?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is the main benefit of your product or service?
- What sets your product or service apart from the competition?
Once you have answered these questions, you can start crafting your high-level concept. Here are some examples of high-level concepts from successful startups:
- Airbnb: “Book unique homes and experiences all over the world.”
- Uber: “Get a ride in minutes.”
- Dropbox: “Simplify your life.”
As you can see, these high-level concepts are short, memorable, and focused on the problem they are solving. They communicate the main benefit of the product or service in a simple and clear way, and they are unique and differentiated from the competition.
In summary, the high-level concept is a key component of the Lean Canvas that helps entrepreneurs to quickly communicate and validate their business model. It is a brief and clear statement that describes what your product or service represents, and it should be short, memorable, focused on the problem you are solving, and unique and differentiated from the competition.
Related Topics
If you are interested in learning more about Lean Canvas and related topics, here are some additional resources to explore:
- Business Model Canvas: The Lean Canvas is based on the Business Model Canvas, which was created by Alex Osterwalder. The Business Model Canvas is a visual tool that helps entrepreneurs and businesses describe, design, challenge, and pivot their business model. It consists of nine building blocks that represent the key elements of a business, including customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. You can learn more about the Business Model Canvas on the Strategyzer website.
- Value Proposition Canvas: The Value Proposition Canvas is a complementary tool to the Business Model Canvas and the Lean Canvas. It helps entrepreneurs and businesses design, test, and optimize their value proposition, which is the unique combination of products, services, and experiences that solve a specific problem or satisfy a specific need of a specific customer segment. The Value Proposition Canvas consists of two sides: the customer profile and the value map. You can learn more about the Value Proposition Canvas on the Strategyzer website.
- Customer Development: Customer Development is a framework and methodology that was popularized by Steve Blank and Eric Ries. It emphasizes the importance of discovering, validating, and iterating on the right customer segment, problem, solution, and business model before scaling and executing. Customer Development consists of four stages: customer discovery, customer validation, customer creation, and company building. You can learn more about Customer Development in the book “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries.
- Design Thinking: Design Thinking is a human-centered and iterative approach to innovation and problem-solving that was popularized by Tim Brown and David Kelley. It involves empathizing with the user, defining the problem, ideating potential solutions, prototyping and testing the best solution, and implementing and scaling the solution. Design Thinking consists of five stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. You can learn more about Design Thinking on the IDEO website.
- Agile Methodology: Agile Methodology is a flexible and collaborative approach to software development and project management that was popularized by the Agile Manifesto and the Scrum Framework. It emphasizes the importance of delivering working software early and frequently, responding to change, and empowering self-organizing and cross-functional teams. Agile Methodology consists of several practices and ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-up, sprint review, and retrospective. You can learn more about Agile Methodology on the Agile Alliance website.