Ask HN: Would a framework for the business model canvas be useful?
> Write your next business plan in code.
...I've dreamed of making a framework for the business model side of a small business or startup. Basically, take the business model canvas[1] and encode it into a web framework. Similar to how Rails enforces MVC patterns, this framework would coerce your business logic into the predefined models of the business model canvas.
I'm not sure what the implementation would actually look like, because each section of the canvas can be very unique to a business, but I think it can be done. For example, the "Key Activities" section can be implemented with a cron scheduler of some kind, and you can imagine other code-based implementations for the other sections.
So, I ask those business founders with more experience than I: would a framework like this be useful? Or are the activities of a mid-sized startup too variable for this kind of structure?
If this gets a lot of positive feedback, I'll start to work on it concurrently with a business idea I'm testing now. If anyone is willing to work on it with me, I'm a Ruby/Python/Clojure developer[2].
[0]: https://twitter.com/naval/status/607256322682191872 [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas [2]: https://github.com/bsima