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6 Essential Frameworks to Find the Right Customer Problems & Standing Out in a Crowded Software Marketplace

by Rishi Khanna on May 2, 2025

Innovation is never a straight path. Every successful SaaS product or software starts with identifying the right customer problems and differentiating in a competitive landscape.

Yet, with so many strategy frameworks available, it’s easy to get lost in the noise.

Earlier this week, while mapping out a new Innovation Accelerator Workshop for our new client, I found myself buried in sticky notes on Miro, sifting through countless approaches to solving the same fundamental challenge:

How do you truly understand your customer and carve out a unique market position?

After filtering through the chaos, I narrowed it down to six go-to frameworks that consistently deliver clarity and strategic direction.

1. Empathy Map – Dave Gray

Best for Gaining deep customer insights

If you’re struggling to step into your customer’s shoes, the Empathy Map is a powerful tool to visually capture their thoughts, feelings, actions, and environment.

Helps teams build genuine customer empathy
Maps out what users say, think, do, and feel
Uncovers hidden motivations behind their behaviors

Use is at the start of your innovation process, when you need to deeply understand your users before jumping into solutions.

2. Value Proposition Canvas – Alex Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

Best for Aligning your offering with customer needs

Ever built a feature that no one uses? The Value Proposition Canvas ensures that every aspect of your product or service is directly linked to real customer pains, gains, and jobs-to-be-done (JTBD).

Prevents feature bloat by focusing on delivering real-world value
Clarifies the direct benefits your product brings to customers
Helps sharpen your messaging and marketing

Use it after identifying customer pain points and before refining your product-market fit.

3. Forces of Progress (JTBD) – Bob Moesta & Clayton Christensen

Best for understanding what drives customer decision-making

Customers don’t just buy products—they “hire” them to make progress in their lives. The Forces of Progress model helps dissect what triggers a purchase decision (or stops it from happening).

Breaks down the pushes, pulls, anxieties, and habits influencing buying behavior
Helps uncover switching triggers and customer hesitations
A go-to method for improving retention and onboarding experiences

Use it when trying to understand why customers choose or abandon your product.

4. Customer Journey Map – Chip Bell & Ron Zemke

Best for dentifying friction points and optimizing user experience

The Customer Journey Map traces the end-to-end experience of a customer, from first awareness to post-purchase retention.

Reveals key touchpoints and pain points
Helps prioritize features that enhance satisfaction and reduce churn
Ensures a seamless experience across different customer interactions

Use it when improving customer experience or refining user onboarding.

5. Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas – W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne

Best for dentifying uncontested market opportunities

If you’re tired of competing in a saturated space, the Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas helps you uncover differentiation opportunities by evaluating your offering against competitors.

Helps identify unclaimed market space
Encourages eliminating, reducing, raising, or creating unique factors
Provides a strategic roadmap for differentiation

When to Use It: When entering a crowded market or launching a disruptive innovation.

6. Positioning Canvas – Robert Kaminski & Anthony Pierri

Best for Crafting a clear and compelling market position

If customers are confused about why they should choose your product over others, the Positioning Canvas helps define your unique value in a single statement.

Clarifies your differentiation and unique claim in the market
Ensures your messaging resonates with the right audience
Helps internal teams stay aligned on why your product matters

Use it before launching a product or revamping brand messaging.

Which Framework is Right for You?

Every business is unique, and while one framework may work for a particular problem, another may be better suited for a different challenge. The key is to experiment, iterate, and find the right mix that brings clarity to your customers and confidence to your team.

At ISHIR, we specialize in helping businesses accelerate innovation by leveraging the best strategic frameworks tailored to their specific challenges. Whether you’re looking to refine your product-market fit, optimize your customer experience, or carve out new market opportunities, these six frameworks provide a strong foundation to move forward with clarity.

What’s Your Go-To Framework? Which of these approaches do you swear by? Or do you have another favorite that’s helped drive clarity in your business?