Problems, risks, or obstacles customers experience in getting their jobs done.
Customer Pains are the problems, risks, obstacles, and negative experiences that customers encounter when getting their jobs done. In the Value Proposition Canvas, they form the customer profile together with Jobs and Gains. Understanding Pains is often more revealing than knowing Gains, because people are more strongly motivated by avoiding pain than by pursuing gain.
Pains can be categorized into three types: functional (something does not work or takes too long), emotional (uncertainty, frustration, fear of making the wrong decision), and social (loss of face, lack of recognition). A procurement manager purchasing new software has functional Pains (complicated procurement processes), emotional Pains (fear of choosing the wrong solution), and social Pains (criticism from colleagues if the software does not work). A value proposition that addresses all three levels is significantly more compelling than one that only serves the functional dimension.
The concept comes from the Value Proposition Canvas by Osterwalder. The key is not to assume Pains but to uncover them through interviews and observation. The perceived severity of a Pain determines how much a customer is willing to pay for its resolution.
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