Startup Canvas

groupmap-template-Startup Canvas-description-img

What is a Startup Canvas?

A Startup Canvas is a one-page strategic planning tool used to help entrepreneurs define, realize and communicate their business model on a single page. 

This is a variation of the Business Model Canvas by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. The Start Up Canvas was created by Maurya Ash, a notable start up adviser who varied the original model to be more focused on a new business.

Since then, more variations have been created. The one shown here includes a broad set of aspects for a start up including value, user acquisition and channels to market.

Why use a Startup Canvas?​

  • Defines your business model. You can see how the elements fit together and how one affects the other.
  • Improves focus and priorities. By honing in on the areas a start-up business needs most, you can be smarter with time and money.
  • Can identify gaps and opportunities. Working through each element challenges assumptions and can also spark new ideas.
  • It acts as a communication tool. A ‘one pager’ helps you communicate the vision to the team and investors.
  • Allows for easy iteration and refinement. You can easily change or update your canvas as you learn more or gain clarity.

Who Should Use Startup Canvas?

  • Start up teams
  • Entrepreneurs and start up founders
  • Business Consultants
  • Start up coaches and advisors
  • Investors
  • Educations in entrepreneurship and design thinking
Tips for the Startup Canvas

Startup Canvas template

groupmap-template-Startup Canvas-with ideas-votes-img

How to Use a Startup Canvas

It all starts with your new business idea. You can start with a proposed name.

The criticl thing to define is the customer’s problem. From there, you can refine any solution/s you have in mind.

Identifying competitors helps develop an understanding of the current market landscape. Then list all the ways your solution brings value to solving the problem. Capture what you know to date and how you will create a minimum viable product. 

Next, define your ideal customers and how you attract them to your business. This step is crucial in knowing how you might market and position your product. 

Finally, decide on who you need in your team to accomplish the goals you have for your company and create the vision for your startup.

Brainstorm

Start with the problem statement.

Group

Group similar ideas into one.

Vote

For areas that need further discussion or research

Results

See where people have voted.

Action Plan

Create a plan to validate assumptions, learn and iterate.

Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

Mood Wall Ice Breaker

Mood Wall GroupMap with names as an icebreaker

What is a Mood Wall?

A Mood Wall is a simple tool that allows people to share their current emotional state or mood by placing their name on a board that displays a range of emoticons.

This is a powerful way to build empathy and get a sense of the energy and mindset of the people in the room.

Using a Mood Wall requires minimal setup. You can choose a range of emotions and simply have people add their names on the Wall. You can go the extra step by having them comment on why they feel that way. 

A Mood Wall can be a fun icebreaker that sets the tone for a collaborative and empathy-focused meeting.

Why use a Mood Wall?

Besides being a really simple way of getting everyone to check in and be present for the meeting, a Mood Wall can:

  • Encourage self reflection. Having people check in on their own feelings helps them become aware of their own emotional state as they start the meeting.
  • Encourages communication. People can share a single feeling and reason for their choice; this helps to break down barriers.
  • Builds empathy and understanding. By being aware of how the team is feeling, this can help people work better together.

When Should I Use a Mood Wall?

A Mood Wall can be used by meeting or workshop facilitators. It can also be used by teachers and lecturers. They are useful for:

  • Company meetings to encourage openness and collaboration.
  • Market research sessions for people to add their reactions.
  • Counselling or design thinking sessions to practice empathy.
  • Team building events to kick off a big workshop.
Tips for your Mood Wall Ice Breaker

Mood Wall Template

groupmap-template-moodwall-with emotions-img

How to Run a Mood Wall

Draw, print or write different emoticons on a large whiteboard or wall and hand out sticky notes to each person who can then add their names to the wall. Then invite each person to add their name to the emoticon that best reflects how they feel.

Alternatively, you can use an online brainstorming tool like GroupMap for both real-time and remote sessions. It can also be set up so that people add their names independently and are therefore not influenced by other people’s responses. You can then reveal the results in total to the whole group. This will reduce bias and anchoring.

Create the Mood Wall

Use the template to choose your emoticons.

Brainstorm

People add their names to the relevant emoticon.

Discuss

Get people to share why they are feeling that way today.

Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

The ESVP Agile Retrospective Check In

GroupMap’s ESVP template. An easy and simple way to help set the stage for your retrospective or team meeting.

What is an ESVP? 

ESVP is an exercise created by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen. Its goal is to help set the stage for a retrospective.

The ESVP was designed to engage and focus on those involved in the retrospective. At the same time, it gained insight into the participants’ attitudes towards the agile retrospective meeting itself.

While it’s still a popular way to kick off a retrospective, ESVPs are now used more widely. They can be icebreakers used to warm up any type of meeting or collaborative session. They can also be used at any point during a session as a temperature check.

ESVP stands for ‘Explorers, Shoppers, Vacationers and Prisoners’. Participants are invited to indicate the persona with whom they most relate at that point in time.

An ESVP focuses on four areas:

  • Explorer – Will dive in and discover new things.
  • Shopper – Will see what can be procured.
  • Vacationer – Will relax and switch off.
  • Prisoner – Does not want to be there.

Terms that are used by some groups may not be used by others. That’s why all of GroupMap’s templates are customisable. You could, for example, change ‘Vacationer’ to ‘Observer’ if you feel that word better suits your group.

Why Do an ESVP?

Using an ESVP at the start of your meeting can give everyone insight into the current motivations of the group. This means you’ll get more out of your meeting because you can see the attitudes and expectations of the people there. An ESVP check in exercise helps to create tiny yet powerful threads of connection between meeting participants. These connections help sow the seeds of collaboration. 

Setting the stage with an ESVP can also help a facilitator gauge the attitudes of the people in the room. This lets the facilitator shape their next steps and helps everyone make the most of their meeting time.

You can use it to:

  • Softly launch your meeting
  • Easily gauge the ‘vibe’ of the group
  • Decide on how you want to approach the retrospective meeting

Who Should Use an ESVP?

The ESVP is an insightful tool and can be used by:

  • Scrum Masters
  • Iteration Managers
  • Coordinators
  • Team Leaders
  • Teachers
  • Trainers
  • Facilitators

In a nutshell, people who are working with groups in order to deliver outcomes would benefit from adding an EVSP to their toolkit.

Tips for an effective ESVP

ESVP Template

Explorer

Will dive in and discover new things.

  • Eager to examine possibilities
  • Positive attitude and high energy
  • Motivated by the chance to learn and open to where that may head

Shopper

Will see what can be procured.

  • Happy to consider the possibilities
  • Reasonably positive attitude and medium energy
  • Motivated by chance of finding something of benefit

Vacationer

Will relax and switch off.

  • Indifferent to possibilities
  • Passive attitude and low energy
  • Motivated by the chance to disengage

Prisoner

Will not want to be here.

  • Resistant to possibilities
  • Closed attitude and medium to high energy 
  • Motivated by the requirement to attend

How to Create an ESVP

Creating an ESVP is very straightforward. It simply presents people with four categories and asks them to pick one.

To start a face-to-face meeting, a flipchart or whiteboard divided into four zones could be used. People then place a post-it or mark an ‘X’ on the area they wish. To support anonymity, a post-it with an E, S, V, or P could be dropped into a hat with a facilitator recording the results for all to see.

A different approach is needed when it comes to remote and distributed teams. Getting everyone together in the same room at the same time may not be possible. So delivering the ESVP online is the ideal way of engaging all team members.

Screen sharing software, video conferencing, and online collaboration tools allow facilitators to deliver inclusive ESVPs. GroupMap’s ESVP template has been designed with this in mind. It can be used with any type of team (co-located, hybrid or remote). 

The time it takes to deliver an ESVP meeting will vary depending on the number of people in the session. With that said, it’s possible to deliver an ESVP online in less than five minutes. This includes sharing time.

GroupMap has included two steps in its ESVP template. The template is designed to allow participants a single anonymous response. 

How to Use an ESVP to Run Better Meetings

Brainstorm

Have individuals place an X on an area of the template.

Share

Share the responses to the exercise.

Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.