Which tools do you use for 'business modelling'? i.e For mapping out your (or client) businesses.

Gerrard Lipscombe
4 replies
I've seen people use anything from LucidChart to Notion to good old pen and paper. Curious to hear what you all have come across, or if there are any good dedicated solutions for this out there? As an example, Causal.app is the closest I've come across to a tool that feels intuitive and gives me the sense of having superpowers for rapid forecasting & modelling (as I'm sure power Excel users probably already feel!), but that's just the numbers side. I'm thinking more along the lines of: 'I want to start a business', what's the simplest way to get a high-level map or overview of how it could all be pieced together--so that I can play around with several different models before committing to a path. Full disclosure: I'm working on an 'Editor' to be used within Notion that would try to address this, but it would just be an add-on. Would love to hear how you all currently tackle this and if any fully native solutions are already out there! Thanks, Gerrard

Replies

Talia Bender
Miro is a great tool to map out a roadmap or model your business. It's very easy to use and comes with several templates to get started with. However, I also like searching for a template that exactly fits my needs and then recreating it in Miro. Additionally, it s a great collaborative tool that we have used in meetings.
Gerrard Lipscombe
@taliambender True, Miro is a great tool for the visual side of this (and their templates library is excellent). Have used it here and there, but never quite stuck for me. I might need to give it a more thorough go!
Kevin Olejniczak
I had the opportunity to deal with Causal and Miro, and they're both worthy. The templates are great, and it's simply a pleasure using them. I've had successful experience mapping out business models. Moreover, I'd be happy to share a useful experience with you. I've recently attended leadership workshops here at https://www.prendo.com/leadershi..., and I understood that actually, I didn't have any idea how a team should be managed and strengthened. It's not enough to create a business, but it's essential to maintain it.
Vince
Each tool has unique set of advantages, here's my 2c - LucidChart -> Tech Stack Architecture, specifically good if you integrate with your databases automatically - Miro -> Tech Stack Architecture when need to be more fluid and less restrained (also more work to look clear), use as whiteboard during meetings - Whimsical -> Wireframes and User Journey flows, less freedom than Miro which is also - simplifying and helping go that much faster - Gslide -> works fine like Miro but less advanced I use all these tools in specific situations. Overall I tend to choose Miro and Whimsical