---
title: "Reading a Business Model Canvas"
course: "ENTR 242 · Start your own business"
unit: "Business models and riskiest assumptions"
lesson: 10 of 43
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/start-your-own-business/reading-a-business-model-canvas
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Reading a Business Model Canvas

Lesson 10 of 43 in **Start your own business** (ENTR 242), unit "Business models and riskiest assumptions". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Understand the nine building blocks of the Business Model Canvas (what each one describes) and identify them in a real startup's business model.
- Understand a business model as a connected system of how a startup creates, delivers and captures value, and trace how changing one block ripples into the others.

## Teaching notes
Use Airbnb's business model, with hosts and guests as two linked segments and service fees charged to both. Create an illustration that lays out the nine Business Model Canvas blocks filled in for Airbnb.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 10 complete: Reading a Business Model Canvas."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Finding early adopters in a segment" (lesson 11 of 43), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/start-your-own-business/finding-early-adopters-in-a-segment.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Calling an opportunity verdict
Next lesson: Finding early adopters in a segment