You’ve designed a potential solution around a validated problem.
But a solution that sounds good doesn’t necessarily fit the problem or the customer.
The Problem–Solution Fit Canvas helps you move from potential Solution to Evidence of Fit
What is this toolkit about?
The Problem–Solution Fit Canvas helps you test whether your proposed solution actually addresses the problem customers care about and moves them toward the outcome they want.
- It helps you examine:
- The validated problem
- The target customer
- The proposed solution
- The customer’s desired outcome
- How the solution addresses the problem
- Existing alternatives
- Evidence supporting the fit
- Remaining assumptions
Your goal isn’t to prove that your idea is perfect.
It’s to determine whether there is enough evidence to continue developing it.
What problem does it solve?
A common mistake is assuming: I designed a solution for the problem, so I have a good solution.
But customers may:
- Not see the problem as important
- Want a different outcome
- Prefer their current alternative
- Find your solution difficult to use
- See too little value in changing
The canvas helps you ask:
“Does this solution actually fit the problem well enough for the customer to care?”
What will I have when I'm done with the toolkit?
Use this toolkit when:
- You’ve validated a problem.
- You’ve designed a potential solution.
- You need to test whether the solution addresses the real problem.
- You want to identify gaps before investing further.
- You’re preparing to test the customer outcome.
Don’t treat the canvas as proof of product-market fit.
It helps you organize and assess your evidence; real customer testing is still required.
When should I use it?
You’ll have a Problem–Solution Fit Canvas showing:
- Customer and problem
- Proposed solution
- Desired outcome
- Problem-solution connection
- Existing alternatives
- Evidence of fit
- Key assumptions
- Remaining gaps
You’ll finish with a clearer view of what fits, what doesn’t, and what still needs to be tested.
What will I have when iI am done?
The Notion toolkit guides you through four activities:
1. Define the Fit
Connect the validated problem to your proposed solution.
2. Test the Connection
Examine whether the solution addresses what actually matters to the customer.
3. Compare Alternatives
Identify what customers currently do and why they might change.
4. Assess the Evidence
Separate what you know from what you still assume.
Don’t treat assumptions as evidence.
How to use it
Evunn Action Points (Recommended)
The Toolkit
Problem–Solution Fit Canvas Notion Template
Use the interactive Notion template to assess whether your proposed solution genuinely fits the problem you’ve validated.
👉 Open the Problem–Solution Fit Canvas Toolkit below.
Your Completed Output after using the Toolkit
Save:
- Your Problem–Solution Fit Canvas
How your proposed solution connects to the validated problem. - Your Fit Evidence
What you have learned that supports the connection. - Your Remaining Assumptions
What still needs to be tested. - Your Fit Gaps
Where the solution may need to change.
Don’t move directly into building more features.
First understand what the customer actually needs the solution to achieve.
What’s Next?Customer Outcome
You’ve established what the solution is meant to solve.
Now you need to get more specific:
What outcome should the customer actually experience?
You’ll define:
- What success looks like for the customer
- What should change after using the solution
- How the outcome can be recognised or measured
- What value the customer should receive