The Disruptor’s Canvas will introduce you to the “lean canvas”, a startup tool used to help new businesses document their business plan on a single page. This version, however, has been modified to take account of the peer-to-peer model. It includes: * Introduction to the Lean Canvas: Find out why it works * Getting started with the Disruptor’s Canvas: The practicalities of the canvas * Validating your Disruptor’s Canvas: How to get feedback on your business model Download the follow-up handbooks for innovators at http://disruptorshandbook.com/disruptors-handbooks/

1. Chapter 1
DISRUPTOR’S
CANVAS
Disruptor’s Handbook #2DisruptorsHandbook.com

2. What’s in the ebook?
This ebook will introduce you to the “lean canvas”, a
startup tool used to help new businesses document their
business plan on a single page.
This version, however, has been modified to take
account of the peer-to-peer model. It includes:
• Introduction to the Lean Canvas:
Find out why it works
• Getting started with the Disruptor’s Canvas:
The practicalities of the canvas
• Validating your Disruptor’s Canvas:
Feedback is the lifeblood of a good idea.
Feel free to share this ebook.
What is the Disruptor’s
Handbook?
The Disruptor’s Handbook is an un-Agency that brings
startup culture to your business. We work with clients to
help them see opportunity in disruptive technologies and
business models. Our eBook series steps you through
the practicalities of disruptive innovation.
We specialise in:
• Business model innovation: Helping you bring
disruptive models, technology and ideas into your
existing or new business
• Talent: Helping you transform your workforce for
the 21st Century
• Operations: Digitally supercharge the way your firm
functions from the C-suite to the front desk
• Product: Got a problem worth solving? We know
how to get you from idea to market without delay.
Contact Us

3. Disruptor’s Handbook #2: Disruptor’s Canvas
Introduction to the Lean Canvas
The Lean Canvas is a “faster, more effective way to communicate your business model with internal
and external stakeholders”. It is based on Alex Osterwalder’s business model canvas but has been
modified to suit an innovation focused or “startup oriented” business.
The Lean Canvas has a number of benefits:
Short: Rather than spending weeks
or months on writing a business plan,
you can create and experiment with
your Lean Canvas in an afternoon.
Sharp: The Lean Canvas forces you
to be brief. Its shortness is a hard
virtue that you will come to value.
Sweet: With a focus on simplicity and
a basic lack of space, the Lean Canvas
forces you to distil your ideas into
their purest form.
Sound: It is not just a document to
be stored away. The Lean Canvas is a
sounding board for your business/idea
and can be adjusted and improved
with each iteration.

4. Disruptor’s Handbook #2: Shared Value Canvas
Assumptions and hypotheses
Each and every section of the Lean Canvas is a
place for documenting assumptions and
hypotheses. For no matter how much research
that you do, or how many focus groups you ask,
your idea will only move beyond being an “idea”
once you have people using (and preferably
paying for) it.
So for example, you may make the assumption
that small business owners will pay $50 per year
for your idea. Until you ask someone in that
market segment whether they would pay $50
per year or not, you have an hypothesis. Until
they actually pay you, you have an assumption.
After completing a canvas, your challenge will be
to actively test your assumptions and hypotheses.
Disadvantages of the Lean
Canvas
While the Lean Canvas is a great tool, there are
some limitations which are useful to
acknowledge:
• Moment in time: Like all business modelling,
Lean Canvas is a snapshot of a moment in
time. Changes in any one of your segments
can dramatically impact your model.
• Value prop confusion: It is easy to end up
with products in your value proposition
segment. Try to avoid this where possible.
• Going for growth: How to you acquire,
maintain and grow your customer base? The
Lean Canvas struggles here – but this is
covered in our Disruptor’s Handbook #5:
Three Metrics That Matter.

5. Disruptor’s Handbook #2: Shared Value Canvas
Getting started
The Disruptor's Canvas is divided into 9 main
sections. Each of these sections deals with an
aspect of your innovation.
• Problem: What is the problem you are
solving?
• Solution: Describe your solution to this
problem.
• Key metrics: What are the measurements
and accountabilities that you will use to assess
the success of your innovation?
• Unfair advantage: What is your secret
advantage that you have that no one else
does?
• Channels: How will you reach the people,
groups and organisations who will benefit
from your innovation?
• Customer segments: Describe the differing
customer segments that you are targeting
with your innovation.
The Disruptor's Canvas is designed to help you
explain the business model behind your innovation
in a single page.

6. Disruptor’s Handbook #2: Shared Value Canvas
• Value proposition: Where the Disruptor’s
Canvas differs from other variations of the
Lean Canvas is in the value proposition.
Rather than a single value proposition,
disruptive must balance competing priorities
and value propositions depending upon the
stakeholders involved. In general there will
be a B2B value proposition and a B2C value
proposition.
• Cost structure: What are the immediate and
ongoing costs to your innovation?
• Revenue streams: What are the expected
revenue streams that will support your
business? Things to consider include free,
freemium and pro models. This can include
transactional revenues (per use) or
subscriptions. In general, work towards the
“no brainer” pricing model which is all about
driving growth and user adoption.
A word about value propositions
The two value proposition sub-sections of the
Disruptor’s Lean Canvas can be challenging to
complete.
We are now seeing a peer-to-peer model
emerging. This is essentially a combination of two
approaches:
• B2B: The business-to-business marketing
focus that engages more anonymous buyers
with drip-fed knowledge and information.
• B2C: Consumer oriented marketing that
prioritises emotion and action over
information.
One way of understanding how this may play out
is that we – as individuals – play parallel roles –
personal and professional. As a professional, we
may assess procurement opportunities and so
are professionally attuned to corporate messaging
and process. But as individuals, we may have a
passion for Lego. A Lego oriented campaign may
attract our interest, but the professional follow-
through will seal the deal (and sometimes vice
versa).

7. PROBLEM SOLUTION VALUE PROPOSITION
UNFAIRADVANTAGE CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS
KEY METRICS CHANNELS
COST STRUCTURE REVENUE STREAMS
DISRUPTOR’S CANVAS:
B2B B2C

8. Disruptor’s Handbook #2: Disruptor’s Canvas
Validating the Disruptor’s Canvas
Now that you have created your Disruptor’s Canvas (version 1.0), it’s now time to validate each
section. This means working with your stakeholders and potential participants to determine whether
your hypotheses and assumptions have been correct.
Seek our your “customer segments” and request a meeting. Face-to-face is preferable. In this meeting
you are seeking to validate as much of your Disruptor’s Canvas as possible. Step through each section
and actively ask, “does this resonate with you”?
In the key metrics section, ask whether you are measuring the right things. In the revenue streams
section, ask whether you could count on an order at that price. In the channels section, seek to
understand whether there are routes to market that you have not considered – or may be more direct
than those you have specified.
Follow this style of questioning and analysis for each section of the canvas.
Remember: Be open to feedback. Your aim with the canvas is to both educate and engage potential
partners and stakeholders in the creation of business value. This means updating the canvas as you go.

9. Disruptor’s Handbook #2: Shared Value Canvas
Taking it further
A Disruptor’s Canvas is not just a document that
sits in a folder or in a drawer. It is a practical guide
for progressing your concept from idea to
product.
The Disruptor’s Handbook can help you
progress, accelerate and scale your project.
There are a number of ways to do so:
• Read and follow: Download our Handbook
#3: Key Themes and Messages and continue
your journey
• Learn and lead: Enrol in our eLearning
courses to deepen your understanding of the
process
• Engage to accelerate: Work with our expert
team to accelerate your innovation efforts.
Contact Us
About the author
Gavin is a digital strategist and advisor. He has led new
venture startups for organisations like PwC, developed
digital strategy and execution for global brands on both
the agency and client sides, and spent some time as an
analyst in digital transformation for award winning analyst
and advisory firm, Constellation Research.
Meet the disruptors
Joanne Jacobs Suzie Graham Jenni Beattie Andy Moore

10. Chapter 1
DISRUPTOR’S
LEAN CANVAS
Disruptor’s Handbook #2
How do you innovate without
disrupting your existing business?
By taking lessons from Silicon
Valley and applying them to
projects you can innovate on the
margins of your business and
determine next steps in your
own time.
This handbook helps you get
started today.
DisruptorsHandbook.com