Business Model Kit
The Business Model Kit is a visual tool from Board of Innovation for sketching a business model as a set of stakeholders connected by value exchanges. The organisation and every other party are placed as separate entities, and arrows show what each one gives and receives, such as products, services, money, data or exposure. It is meant for generating and comparing several model options in about an hour, before one of them is detailed on a Business Model Canvas.
Facilitation script
- 1
Set up: explain the notation of entities and labelled arrows, and place your own organisation on the sheet in relation to customers and suppliers.
5 min - 2
Map all stakeholders that play a part in the model.
10 min - 3
Map the value exchanges between stakeholders, one labelled arrow per exchange.
20 min - 4
Sustainability check: confirm that every stakeholder both gives and receives value, and mark the weak relationships.
10 min - 5
Challenge the model and sketch alternative models and revenue streams on new sheets. Choose what to develop or test.
15 min
Tips
Draw one arrow per exchange and label it; unlabelled lines hide the questions the tool is meant to raise.
Separate the customer who pays from the user who benefits whenever they differ, as this is where most alternative models come from.
Keep each version on its own sheet so that options can be compared side by side.
One version is a diagram of the current thinking, and the value of the session comes from the second and third.
Common pitfalls
Stopping after one diagram. The team documents its first idea and never compares alternatives, which is the main purpose of the kit
Merging customer and user into one entity when they are different parties. The question of who pays disappears from the picture
Drawing arrows without labels, so that nobody can tell later what is exchanged or check whether it is balanced
Skipping the sustainability check. A stakeholder that gives without receiving is overlooked and drops out when the model is launched
Adding so many minor stakeholders that the core exchange can no longer be seen
Variations
Board of Innovation describes the kit for individual and team brainstorms. In a larger group, pairs each sketch a different model for the same idea and present them in a gallery walk. Remotely, use a digital whiteboard with shapes for stakeholders and connectors for exchanges. The kit can also be used to explain an existing model to another team, or to find weak points in it by running the sustainability check on the current state.
Where it fits
When to use it
A team has a product or service idea and has not yet decided how it will make money
The model involves several parties, such as a platform, partners or a payer who is not the user
You want to compare alternative revenue models quickly before committing to one
A model needs to be explained to people outside the team in a single picture
An existing model is under pressure and you want to see which stakeholder relationship is the weak one
When not to use it
The model is settled and you need to document all its components, including resources, activities and costs. Use the Business Model Canvas
The open question is whether customers want the offer at all. Work on the Value Proposition Canvas first
You need financial projections. The kit shows the direction of value flows and says nothing about amounts
You want to analyse influence and engagement of stakeholders in a project. Use a Stakeholder Map
The aim is to understand a whole market or sector beyond your own model. An Ecosystem Map gives the broader view
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Business Model Kit?▾
The Business Model Kit is a visual tool from Board of Innovation for sketching business models. Each stakeholder is drawn as a separate entity, and arrows between them show what is exchanged, such as products, services, money, data or exposure. Teams use it to generate and compare several model options.
How is the Business Model Kit different from the Business Model Canvas?▾
Board of Innovation positions the kit as an ideation tool for exploring multiple model options, and the canvas as a snapshot of an established model. The kit shows flows between parties and makes it quick to redraw a model with a different payer or partner. The canvas covers more components, including resources, activities and cost structure, and is the usual next step once a model has been chosen.
How long does a session take?▾
Board of Innovation plans 60 minutes: 5 for set-up, 10 for stakeholders, 20 for value exchanges, 10 for the sustainability check and 15 for challenging the model and exploring alternatives. Complex multi-sided models can take longer, mainly in the exchange mapping.
What is the sustainability check?▾
It is a pass through the finished diagram to confirm that every stakeholder both gives and receives value. A party that only gives has no incentive to take part, and a party that only receives is a cost with no return. In this context sustainability refers to the viability of the model, not to environmental impact.
Can one person use the Business Model Kit alone?▾
Yes. The source describes it for individual as well as team brainstorms. Working alone is useful for preparing options, but the challenge step benefits from other people who question the assumed exchanges.
Plan your next workshop with AI
Workshop Weaver helps you combine methods like Business Model Kit into a complete, timed agenda in minutes.
Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Board of Innovation.