Original article from the Flevy business blog can be found here: http://flevy.com/blog/deconstruct-and-innovate-your-business-model/ The business model is at the core of any company’s corporate strategy. It defines how the company creates, delivers, and captures value. Most tech startups fail because they lack a viable business model. Even for enterprises with established business models, they often need to revisit and innovate on their business models. To understand the essence of a successful business model, first, let’s look at its 4 core components: • Customer Value Proposition, • Profit Formula, • Key Resources, and • Key Processes. Customer Value Proposition A successful company helps its customers get a “job” done. Doing the “job”—this is the “value” the business is delivering for its customer. For instance, Google helps customers with the job of finding information online. McDonalds helps customers with the job of feeding a greasy appetite quickly and cheaply. Flevy helps customers with the job of finding business documents they need for work. High customer value proposition is correlated with • Importance of the job to the customer; • Low customer satisfaction with alternative options in the market; and • Higher quality (or lower price) of your product relative to alternative options. Profit Formula It’s great to offer customers great value, but, as a business, the economics still need to work in your favor. We need to make money! This is the profit formula. The profit formula is the blueprint that defines how the company creates value for itself, while providing value for the customer. The profit formula consists of numerous economic components, including: • Revenue model • Cost structure • Margin model • Asset turnover and velocity