The Blitz Canvas: A Business Model Innovation Framework for Software Startups

Software startups are temporary organizations created with the purpose of bringing a profitable business idea to life. In the initial stages, the commercial viability of any product concept is yet to be proven and until the startup can generate revenue, resources are always in short supply. To this end, this research proposes a process-oriented, competition-aware, metric-driven business model development and innovation framework. The proposed framework is designed to aid this process, by supporting the creation and validation of the business model. A web-based tool is created to demonstrate the working of the proposed model and validation is performed using survey data collected from the usage experience of participants. The data is used to evaluate the research questions and the ability of the proposed framework to overcome the shortcomings of the business model canvas. The results showed that the tool (and by extension, the framework) made the task of business model creation a quick and easy process, while at the same time covering all the required areas to create a holistic business model. The framework contributes to startup success by creating a structured approach to business development, helping to visualize the avenues for product differentiation and planning growth.