tool 1 of 12 · business model canvas

what you make

Business Model Canvas

Nine boxes that describe one company on one page: who it is for, what they get, how it reaches them, and how money flows in and out.

The canvas is the skeleton of the pitch. Anyone who can walk the nine boxes out loud can explain the company.

Assumptions map

A list of the beliefs the canvas depends on, ranked by how much dies if each one is wrong, with a note on which ones the next four weeks will test.

This one page turns the rest of the semester into an experiment instead of a build. Every interview, test, and number from here on is checking an assumption on this list.

what good looks like

01
Every box is filled with a specific claim, not a category. 'College students' is a category; 'CU juniors who cook twice a week and hate the grocery run' is a claim.
02
The revenue box says who pays, how much, and how often.
03
The assumptions map has at least eight entries, and the top three are marked as the ones you will test first.
04
You can point at the interview, number, or test that will settle each top assumption.

how to do it

01
Fill the canvas fast, in pencil, from your chosen idea. Twenty minutes, no research yet.
02
Have your AI assistant argue against every box. Write down each argument that lands.
03
List every belief the canvas depends on. Aim for ten to fifteen.
04
Rank them: if this is wrong, does the company die, limp, or shrug?
05
Mark the top three as the assumptions your customer interviews will test.

the template

Assumptions map

Print this page, or copy the structure into your Venture Book. Every line is meant to be filled in.

#	We believe that…	If we are wrong…	How sure are we (1 to 5)	How we will find out	By when
1
2
3
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5
6
7
8
9
10

back to class 3

where it comes from

The Business Model Canvas (Strategyzer) ↗Designing the Business Model (OpenStax 11.2) ↗