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University of Virginia

Innovating with the Business Model Canvas

Have you ever gotten really excited about reading or writing a business plan? You might have started out excited, but I’m going to bet you didn’t stay that way. Let’s be honest- business plans are boring and mostly ignored. The beauty of the one-page Business Model Canvas is that it drives meaningful focus. It helps us organize our ideas and have better discussions by forcing specificity and bringing linkages between key business drivers to the foreground. Innovation requires one hand being very focused on a fundamental need or problem while the other hand quickly tests different solutions. For this, the Business Model Canvas is very innovation friendly: It's a lot easier to tweak the model and try things with something that's sitting on a single page In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and taught by top-ranked faculty, you’ll learn key tools from the worlds of design thinking and Lean Startup to approach the Canvas with thoughtfulness, focus, and above all a test-driven approach to business model innovation.

Status: Design Thinking
Status: Resource Allocation
BeginnerCourse4 hours

Featured reviews

RO

5.0Reviewed Apr 26, 2021

Great for everyone looking to start and grow a modern business! So many nuggets of wisdom, advice and practical activities for you to do to ensure maximum chances of success

DP

5.0Reviewed Jul 30, 2020

Really well thought through and presented course. Good insights, and succinct.

AL

5.0Reviewed Nov 10, 2024

Useful course for entrepreneurs and investors, and those working in innovative startups.

WY

5.0Reviewed Nov 25, 2020

Great stuffs but it is too short. It would be great if Alex can provide more examples of some real live existing companies. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended

AH

5.0Reviewed Nov 19, 2019

Amazing stuff!It is actually organized in 2 weeks but opens up so many interesting subjects to dig deeper and understand which can help taking your business to the next level.Thanks Alex!

AB

5.0Reviewed Sep 24, 2019

The information is really well structured and easy to follow. It doesn't live anything unclear and it's all actionable content.

JB

5.0Reviewed Apr 16, 2021

The canvas makes it easier for us to understand every key area of the business in each development stage. Thanks to Cowan for all the resources and lectures

WB

5.0Reviewed Dec 28, 2020

Great material, I was really able to simplify my design process and understand the importance of value propositions and customer segments!

JW

4.0Reviewed May 14, 2021

Very well executed, however, i found the course abit complex and i was hoping that the case studies used would be brought nearer home

JH

5.0Reviewed Nov 25, 2020

I've read the books, and used the tools; but I've never had anyone walk through them for me. This was very informative and should add value.

LA

5.0Reviewed Sep 25, 2025

Excellent course. It could be made specific for the industry that we are in

FD

4.0Reviewed Jul 28, 2019

Good tools, well explained ideas and a good well based step by step procedure to set our business idea using the Business Model Canvas in order.

All reviews

Showing: 20 of 94

Richard Omondi
5.0
Reviewed Apr 26, 2021
Darren Peter Carandang
5.0
Reviewed Jun 7, 2020
FINNORAH NYABOGAH
5.0
Reviewed Apr 18, 2021
Lawrence Hartman
5.0
Reviewed Feb 5, 2019
Nuwaira Abdullahi
5.0
Reviewed Sep 15, 2023
David Jensen
5.0
Reviewed Jan 23, 2018
MUHAMMAD AHMER SARWAR
5.0
Reviewed Aug 26, 2018
Hemant Patil
5.0
Reviewed Jul 29, 2019
Arvid Hajilou
5.0
Reviewed Nov 19, 2019
William Yap
5.0
Reviewed Nov 26, 2020
Johannes Bontlogile
5.0
Reviewed Apr 17, 2021
zuhura hassan
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Reviewed Apr 18, 2021
PAN YUNG CHYUAN
5.0
Reviewed Oct 7, 2020
Jeffery Hensley
5.0
Reviewed Nov 26, 2020
Ehsaneddin Azimizadeh
5.0
Reviewed Dec 17, 2022
Walter Blunt
5.0
Reviewed Dec 29, 2020
Ana Maria Benta
5.0
Reviewed Sep 24, 2019
Maryam Khaliq
5.0
Reviewed Oct 11, 2018
Jocelynn Mendoza
5.0
Reviewed Feb 26, 2022
MATHEUS COUTO DE OLIVEIRA
5.0
Reviewed May 31, 2020