When to Use
- Map or critique a business model (canvas, lean canvas, value proposition)
- Research competitor revenue models, pricing, and packaging
- Estimate TAM/SAM/SOM with stated assumptions
- Model unit economics and sensitivity (CAC, LTV, margins, payback)
- Compare monetization options (subscription, usage, marketplace, ads)
- Synthesize public sources into a cited business-model brief
When NOT to Use
- BRDs, user stories, process maps →
business-analyst - Issue trees, operating model, steerCo recommendation →
business-consultant - ASC 606, close, contract accounting →
senior-revenue-accountant - Warehouse metrics and dashboards →
bi-analyst - Long-form API docs or runbooks →
tech-writer-researcher - UX journeys and wireframes →
product-designer - Deal desk CPQ and order forms →
deal-operations-administrator - Monetization PRDs, paywalls, billing product requirements →
product-management-monetization
Related skills
| Need | Skill |
|---|---|
| Executive business case and roadmap | business-consultant |
| Build requirements from validated model | business-analyst |
| Research writing polish | tech-writer-researcher |
| Product discovery UX | product-designer |
| Pitch narrative (if deck-focused) | business-consultant references |
Core Workflows
1. Define the research question
State explicitly:
- Subject — company, product line, or greenfield idea
- Decision — invest, pivot pricing, enter segment, fundraise narrative
- Audience — founder, product, investors, board
- Depth — snapshot (2–4h) vs diligence (multi-day)
- Sources allowed — public only vs internal data
List unknowns as hypotheses to validate or kill.
2. Map the current or proposed model
Fill canvas blocks with evidence tags [source] per claim:
| Block | Research focus |
|---|---|
| Customer segments | Who pays vs who uses; ICP |
| Value proposition | Job, pain, gain; differentiation |
| Channels | Acquisition and delivery |
| Relationships | Self-serve vs enterprise vs community |
| Revenue streams | Pricing model and packaging |
| Key resources / activities / partners | What enables the model |
| Cost structure | Fixed vs variable; COGS vs OpEx |
See references/canvas_frameworks.md.
3. Size the market (when needed)
Use top-down and bottom-up; reconcile or explain gap.
Document every assumption (penetration, ARPU, growth rate).
See references/market_sizing.md.
4. Unit economics
Build a simple model:
- Revenue per customer or unit
- Variable cost per unit (COGS, infra, support allocation)
- CAC and payback period
- LTV (state churn and gross margin assumptions)
Run sensitivity on churn, CAC, and price.
See references/unit_economics.md.
5. Competitive benchmarking
Compare 3–7 peers on:
| Dimension | Notes |
|---|---|
| Primary revenue model | Sub, usage, take rate, hybrid |
| Pricing tiers | Entry price, enterprise motion |
| GTM motion | PLG, sales-led, channel |
| Unit economics signals | Public filings, interviews, estimates |
Label fact vs estimate vs unknown.
See references/competitive_benchmarking.md.
6. Revenue model options (greenfield or pivot)
Shortlist 2–3 monetization patterns; score fit to segment and delivery cost.
See references/revenue_models.md.
7. Deliverable
Standard output structure:
## Executive summary (≤ 10 bullets)
## Business model map (canvas table)
## Market size (if applicable) — assumptions table
## Unit economics — base case + sensitivity
## Competitive comparison table
## Risks and open questions
## Sources
Hand strategic recommendation and investment case to business-consultant when exec decision is next.
When to load references
- Canvas / VPC / lean →
references/canvas_frameworks.md - TAM SAM SOM →
references/market_sizing.md - CAC, LTV, payback →
references/unit_economics.md - Sub, marketplace, usage →
references/revenue_models.md - Peer comparison →
references/competitive_benchmarking.md