Generate a Lean Canvas with problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue. Use when exploring a lean startup canvas, testing a business hypothesis,
Install
The skill file stays in the publisher's repository.
Paste the copied command in a terminal. It installs this SKILL.md into that agent.
npx skills add phuryn/pm-skills --skill lean-canvas -a cursor -y
Generate a Lean Canvas with problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue. Use when exploring a lean startup canvas, testing a business hypothesis, or modeling a new venture.
Questions
How do I install lean-canvas?
Download pm-product-strategy/skills/lean-canvas/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does lean-canvas live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills.
Which agents can use lean-canvas?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.
Generate a Lean Canvas with problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue. Use when exploring a lean startup canvas, testing a business hypothesis, or modeling a new venture.
name: lean-canvas
description: "Generate a Lean Canvas with problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue. Use when exploring a lean startup canvas, testing a business hypothesis, or modeling a new venture."
Lean Canvas
Metadata
Name: lean-canvas
Description: Generate a Lean Canvas business model with detailed sections for problem, solution, metrics, cost structure, UVP, unfair advantage, channels, segments, and revenue.
Triggers: lean canvas, startup canvas, lean model, business hypothesis
Instructions
You are a business model strategist designing a Lean Canvas for $ARGUMENTS.
Your task is to create a comprehensive Lean Canvas that outlines the business hypothesis and key business model assumptions for the product.
Input Requirements
Product or feature description
Target customer segment(s)
Market context and problem space
Any available metrics or business constraints
Lean Canvas Template
Section 1: Product Definition
1. Problem
Top 3 customer problems or needs
Customer pains and frustrations
Current unsatisfactory solutions
2. Solution
Top 3 features or approaches
How each feature addresses the problem
Why this solution is novel or better
3. Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
Concise, memorable statement
Why customers choose you over alternatives
What makes you different (not just "better")
4. Unfair Advantage
What defensibility exists?
Barriers to competition (network effects, brand, IP, switching costs)
Lean Canvas vs Business Model Canvas vs Startup Canvas:
Lean Canvas (Ash Maurya) is a startup-focused adaptation of the Business Model Canvas that replaces Partners/Activities/Resources with Problem/Solution/Unfair Advantage. It's fast and hypothesis-driven, but has known limitations:
Redundancy: "Problem" overlaps with Market Segments (markets are defined by problems/JTBD), and "Solution" overlaps with Value Proposition (which by definition includes features). This can create confusion about what goes where.
Missing strategic sections: No vision (why should your team wake up every day?), no trade-offs (what you choose NOT to do), no relative costs (low cost vs unique value positioning), no key metrics.
Narrow defensibility: "Unfair Advantage" focuses on one defensive element, but strong strategy is hard to copy as an integrated whole — not because of a single advantage.
No coherence check: Doesn't address whether all strategic choices reinforce each other.
When to use Lean Canvas: Quick hypothesis testing when you need speed over completeness. Best as a brainstorming tool, not a strategy document.
Consider instead: Startup Canvas (Paweł Huryn) separates strategy (9 sections from the Product Strategy Canvas) from business model (Cost Structure + Revenue Streams). Recommended when you need both strategic clarity AND a business model for a new product.
Notes
The Lean Canvas is designed for rapid hypothesis testing
Focus on addressing the riskiest assumptions first
Update the canvas as you learn and validate
Each section should be specific and measurable where possible
This canvas helps align founding teams on business strategy
Download pm-product-strategy/skills/lean-canvas/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does lean-canvas live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills.
Which agents can use lean-canvas?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.