Identifying the correct stakeholder within a B2B context is crucial for accurate customer validation. Assumptions about customer needs can mislead without direct engagement. Speaking to the right individual—whether a direct consumer, decision maker, or financial sponsor—ensures a precise understanding of the organization's needs and pain points. This step precedes and informs the validation of the value proposition, preventing reliance on biased assumptions and aligning solutions with actual customer insights.

This UVP can be company strength, unique product feature or service. Sometimes I feel difficult to come up with one on our products which satisfies all features of UVP described, but definitely worth the time to investigate: can be easily a decision maker on the market.

When using a Value Proposition Canvas, one common pitfall is the lack of differentiation. It’s easy to fall into the trap of creating a value proposition that sounds like everyone else's. If you don't dig deep enough into what makes your solution uniquely valuable, you risk blending in with the noise. Remember, a solid value proposition should stand out like a beacon, not just echo what’s already out there.

Lack of alignment usually just means having a lack of intention for the canvas. Why do the exercise, if it's not meant to change how your business does business? This is why it's important to treat the canvas as a strategic exercise that aligns departments (and is not an isolated messaging exercise for the marketing or product team alone, for example).

Not iterating with your Value Proposition Canvas is like baking a cake without tasting it. If you don’t refine and adjust based on feedback, you’ll end up with a recipe that misses the mark. It’s crucial to keep testing and evolving. The more you iterate, the closer you get to a product that truly resonates with your audience. Don’t settle for one shot—keep tweaking until you hit the sweet spot.

When using a Value Proposition Canvas, lack of communication often leads to mismatched assumptions. If your team isn’t aligned, you might end up solving problems nobody has or missing key opportunities. Clear, consistent communication is crucial,otherwise, the canvas is just empty words.

I found it very useful to talk about the canvas contents from the very beginning. When it's just a draft and provides a few details, it can be used in brainstorming sessions; just as you would use a whiteboard, but you have a template. When it matures with nice details over time, you anyway have to sell it in many different places, why don't you start with your team, your boss, your internal stakeholders. It gives you the opportunity to practice the messages, and also you will get some questions from different viewpoints - which will help you to iterate further.

A 𝕕𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 spotlights how your solution uniquely tackles a critical customer pain point, unmatched by competitors. • Embrace Diverse Insights: Bring together a cross-functional team from marketing, sales, and customer service. Each offers a distinct perspective, uncovering varied customer needs and potential differentiators. • Uncover Core Needs: Utilize customer personas and conduct deep-dive interviews to reveal hidden pain points and unmet needs. • Emphasize Uniqueness: Move beyond listing features. Showcase how your solution fundamentally solves customer problems differently than any competitor. • Keep It Simple: Create a clear, benefit-focused statement to convey your value proposition.

There is a tendency to force a perfect mapping between customer needs, and what your own product offers. "If they need X, well, that's our feature Y! Our happygronk meets their need for heppywoof, right?" This is because the canvas looks simple and correlational. Like you're meant to draw direct lines, and just clarify relations that are already there. If you find yourself stuck in this trap over and again, it's important to explain from the outset what the canvas is mean to do: understand your customer and find ways your offer can resonate with them. Add a value differentiation step. What are the three MOST important needs, and what are the three things you do better than the competition? These are the "matches" that will matter.