Part II: Evolving the Value Proposition Canvas

How integrating Jobs as Progress can create a stronger value proposition

With Part I: Evolving the Value Proposition, we looked at how by exploring external catalysts, constraints and the progress a customer is trying to make, we can re-frame our customer in what I believe to be a more complete view.

With an upgrade to what we know about customer, we are able to construct our products and services with a different approach.

What you’ll learn in this part if how to swap out Gain Creators and Pain Relievers for Progress Enablers and Constraint Counters with some examples through in there to help make the transition.

So let’s break it down and complete the evolution of the Value Proposition Canvas to the Progress Proposition Canvas.

Progress Enablers

This one is simple.

What is your product and service going to do to create progress for your customer. How is it going to evolve a customer into a better version of themselves help them reach self actualization and ensure that they can get move forward and create change.

I’ll use a service that I love in The Netherlands and that is Swapfiets, a service that allows me to lease a bike over owning in whilst living in Amsterdam, the city of bikes.

What catalysts and desires were pushing and pulling me to change something in my life?

• I landed in a new city and needed a form of transport
• The best form of transport in Amsterdam is a bike (fiets)
• I wanted to explore my new city as soon as a possible

To enable progress for me, Swapfiets offers a service that allows me to achieve those goals. The product, a bike, enables me to get from a to b with the most common form of transport and I became a local of Amsterdam in no time.

Easy right!

But you could ask well what made me choose Swapfiets over going to a bikeshop or marketplace to own my own?

It was how they overcame my constraints that other products and services couldn’t

Constraint Counters

Constraints are competition. It reduces demand and engagement for your product, and you need to know how to solve for it.

In Constraint Counters, you identify how your product removes constraints that your customers put in place.

Using Swapfiets as an example again, how did they counter my constraints?

Budget Constraint

I had just moved to Amsterdam and money was tight. Swapfiets countered this constraint by providing a monthly subscription model at a reasonable price. So instead of having a large upfront expense, I had a smaller barrier to get going.

Anxiety in Use

Before Amsterdam, I didn’t have to use a bike daily, so what happens if it breaks or I get a flat tire? If I buy a bike I would need to sort this all out myself or find another service. Swapfiets makes it easy by having repair as part of their monthly subscription.

Anxiety in Purchase

When buying a bike, how could I guarantee its quality? Especially with a budget constraint, I would need to go second-hand. Swapfiets gave me a new or refurbished bike that looked really great, and if there was a defect, they swap it out!

Getting Stolen or Lost Keys

A risk in buying a bike, in general, is that it will get stolen. It’s a constraint that you accept when making a purchase. Swapfiets gets around that with a simple model. If your bike gets stolen and you have the key for it, $30 later and I have a new bike versus $300. If I lose the key to my bike, instead of the frustration of having to remove a lock, they replace the key for $5.

The Result

With all my constraints and concerns resolved, it became a no-brainer for me to choose this service over another. Even though over time it will cost me more, the constraints in the solution of owning my bike are still large enough to reduce the demand for me to swap my Swapfiets for owning my own.

Products and Services

Nothing to change here, other than you may find an entirely new set of Products and Services because you took an alternative view to your customer.

The End Result

So what do we have now versus what we might have had from the Value Proposition Canvas?

• The biggest change is how your product or service is going to counter the constraints a customer brings to the table
• By countering constraints, you make it easy for your customer to both purchase and continue to use your product
• Progress enables really focus on how your product upgrades your customer, instead of meeting basic needs and wants.
• You have now evolved your Value Proposition Canvas into the Progress Proposition Canvas!

Want To Try It Out?

If you haven’t already, start by getting an upgrade on how you see your customer and read Part I: Evolving the Value Proposition.

Once you’ve done that it becomes easy to create hypotheses on how your product customer will enable progress and counter constraints, overall achieving a great market fit and creating a product that not only people love, but want to buy.