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What are the advantages of using a canvas instead of a document template? IMO the main advantage is using it in facilitation workshops, whether in a remote set

What are the advantages of using a canvas instead of a document template? IMO the main advantage is using it in facilitation workshops, whether in a remote setting using tools like Miro, or in-person meetings using printed sheets of paper with the canvas. While there are other visualization, diagramming, and mapping methods which adding real value, the canvas, IMO, just rearranging a template to fit on a landscape-oriented sheet of paper ;) --- Reposting from: The Tech Stack Canvas (techstackcanvas.io) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36434101 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36434101

Quinzel 3y ago
I think you’re correct it’s main advantage is using it in facilitation workshops. However, document templates are bulky, time consuming to complete, and more difficult to adjust. I think in the early stages of planning a business, the business model canvas can allow a little more flexibility in adapting your business model to suit new ideas, or overcoming unforeseen hurdles etc. Also, without knowing the in’s and out’s of another business who might be your competition, you can use this model to map out another business to understand roughly how their business works and where they’re creating value without necessarily having all the inner working knowledge.
- nivertech 3y ago
  Also unlike a document template, a single sheet of paper has a limited real estate, so it forces you to write down only the most important things. It also let you to review everything at once since it's just a single page, with the document you'll to scroll or page it back and forth, which adding some friction. The workaround might be to limit the answers to one or several lines (or max word/character amount). Or just use something like a Typeform on the input side, which will generate a document or a spreadsheet in the output.
  - Quinzel 3y ago
    The canvas lets you look at the whole picture, taking a holistic view. A plan forces you to focus on one thing at a time. I guess there are pro’s and con’s to both.

Quinzel 3y ago

I think you’re correct it’s main advantage is using it in facilitation workshops. However, document templates are bulky, time consuming to complete, and more difficult to adjust. I think in the early stages of planning a business, the business model canvas can allow a little more flexibility in adapting your business model to suit new ideas, or overcoming unforeseen hurdles etc. Also, without knowing the in’s and out’s of another business who might be your competition, you can use this model to map out another business to understand roughly how their business works and where they’re creating value without necessarily having all the inner working knowledge.

nivertech 3y ago
Also unlike a document template, a single sheet of paper has a limited real estate, so it forces you to write down only the most important things. It also let you to review everything at once since it's just a single page, with the document you'll to scroll or page it back and forth, which adding some friction. The workaround might be to limit the answers to one or several lines (or max word/character amount). Or just use something like a Typeform on the input side, which will generate a document or a spreadsheet in the output.
- Quinzel 3y ago
  The canvas lets you look at the whole picture, taking a holistic view. A plan forces you to focus on one thing at a time. I guess there are pro’s and con’s to both.