# Value Proposition Designer

> >

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-patonkikh-apes-value-proposition-designer`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [patonkikh](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/patonkikh)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [patonkikh](https://github.com/patonkikh)
- **Source:** https://github.com/patonkikh/APES/tree/main/skills/product/value-proposition-designer

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-patonkikh-apes-value-proposition-designer
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Value Proposition Designer

# Purpose

Design a validated Value Proposition Canvas that maps customer jobs, pains, and gains to product pain relievers and gain creators, with an explicit fit assessment.

**Input:** Persona, problem statement, product concept (optional), competitive context (optional)  
**Output:** Value Proposition Canvas document with fit score and prioritized value hypotheses
**Examples:** See [examples.md](examples.md) for worked input/output.

---

# Workflow

## Step 1: Define customer segment

Confirm:

- Primary persona or segment (one canvas per segment)
- Context of use (when/where the product is considered)
- Current alternatives (manual workarounds, competitors, status quo)

If segment is vague, stop and request persona detail or run persona-generator.

## Step 2: Build customer profile

Capture three blocks from the customer's perspective:

**Jobs** — functional, social, emotional tasks they try to accomplish:

| Type | Job | Importance (H/M/L) |
|------|-----|-------------------|

**Pains** — obstacles, risks, frustrations before/during/after jobs:

| Pain | Severity (H/M/L) | Frequency |
|------|------------------|-----------|

**Gains** — desired outcomes, benefits, aspirations:

| Gain | Relevance (H/M/L) | Expected vs unexpected |
|------|-------------------|------------------------|

Prioritize top 3 jobs, top 3 pains, top 3 gains.

## Step 3: Build value map

Map product offering to customer profile:

**Products & services** — what the offering includes (capabilities, not marketing copy).

**Pain relievers** — how each relieves specific pains:

| Pain relieved | How | Evidence |
|---------------|-----|----------|

**Gain creators** — how each creates specific gains:

| Gain created | How | Evidence |
|--------------|-----|----------|

Each pain reliever and gain creator must link to at least one customer profile item.

## Step 4: Assess fit

Evaluate **Problem-Solution Fit** and **Product-Market Fit signals**:

| Dimension | Score (1–5) | Rationale |
|-----------|-------------|-----------|
| Job relevance | | |
| Pain coverage | | |
| Gain delivery | | |
| Differentiation vs alternatives | | |

Flag gaps: pains without relievers, gains without creators, relievers without linked pains.

## Step 5: Prioritize value hypotheses

Rank top 3 value hypotheses to validate:

| Hypothesis | Customer belief | How to test | Success signal |
|------------|-------------------|-------------|----------------|

## Step 6: Validate

Run Validation checklist.

---

# Decision Rules

| Condition | Action |
|-----------|--------|
| No persona or segment defined | Stop; request persona or run persona-generator |
| Multiple segments in one canvas | Split into separate canvases per segment |
| Pain reliever not linked to a pain | Remove or map to specific pain |
| Gain creator describes feature, not outcome | Rewrite as customer benefit |
| All pains marked low severity | Re-interview segment or narrow scope |
| Value map mirrors competitor 1:1 | Articulate differentiation in gain creators |

---

# Validation

- [ ] One primary customer segment identified
- [ ] Customer profile has jobs, pains, gains with priorities
- [ ] Value map has products/services, pain relievers, gain creators
- [ ] Every reliever/creator links to a profile item
- [ ] Fit assessment completed with scores and gaps noted
- [ ] Top 3 value hypotheses with test methods defined
- [ ] Differentiation vs alternatives stated explicitly

---

# Anti-patterns

- **Feature list as value map** — listing capabilities without linking to pains/gains.
- **Generic pains** — "bad UX", "too expensive" without segment-specific context.
- **Orphan relievers** — pain relievers that don't address ranked pains.
- **One canvas for all segments** — enterprise and SMB mixed in one profile.
- **Assumed fit** — high fit scores without evidence or test plan.

---

# Best Practices

- Start from jobs, not features; jobs survive product pivots.
- Use customer language from interviews, not internal jargon.
- Rank pains by severity × frequency, not gut feel alone.
- Compare value map to top 2 alternatives explicitly.
- Treat canvas as living artifact; update after each discovery sprint.

---

# Output Structure

```markdown
# Value Proposition Canvas: [Segment] — [Product]

## Customer Profile
### Jobs (top 3)
| Job | Type | Importance |
|-----|------|------------|

### Pains (top 3)
| Pain | Severity | Frequency |
|------|----------|-----------|

### Gains (top 3)
| Gain | Relevance | Notes |
|------|-----------|-------|

## Value Map
| Pain | Reliever | How |
|------|----------|-----|

| Gain | Creator | How |
|------|---------|-----|

## Fit Assessment
| Dimension | Score | Gaps |
|-----------|-------|------|

**Overall fit:** [Problem-Solution / PMF signal stage]

## Value Hypotheses & Differentiation
| # | Hypothesis | Test | Success signal |
|---|------------|------|----------------|

[vs alternative 1, alternative 2]
```

---

# Next Skills

| Outcome | Recommended Skill |
|---------|-------------------|
| Fit validated, need vision | `product/product-vision-builder` |
| Prioritize features from value map | `product/feature-prioritization` |
| Test assumptions before build | `product/idea-validator` |
| Write requirements for MVP | `product/prd-generator` |

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [patonkikh](https://github.com/patonkikh)
- **Source:** [patonkikh/APES](https://github.com/patonkikh/APES)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-patonkikh-apes-value-proposition-designer
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/patonkikh
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.