How do I write a lean business plan?

Writing a lean business plan is all about stripping down your ideas to the bare bones.  Compare it to building a house with just the blueprint essentials: foundation, walls, roof—don't worry about  marble countertops or koi ponds at this stage. It’s fast, focused, and built for execution, not decoration. Forget the 40-page Word doc with endless SWOTs and market charts. A lean business plan answers four key questions: what you’re doing, who you’re doing it for, how you’ll make money, and what’s next.

What’s in a Lean Business Plan?

Here’s the 8-part structure, all killer, no filler:

1. Problem & Solution
   

   • What pain point are you solving?
     
   • What’s your solution (product or service)?
     
     
 

2. Target Market
   

   • Who are your customers?
     
   • What do they care about right now?
     
     
 

3. Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
   

   • Why you, not the other guy?
     
   • Make it tweetable. “The X for Y” works great. (e.g., “TurboTax for freelancers”)
     
     
 

4. Revenue Streams
   

   • How will you make money? Subscriptions? One-time fees? Licensing?
     
   • If you can’t explain pricing in one breath, go back to the drawing board.
     
     
 

5. Cost Structure
   

   • What are the biggest fixed and variable costs?
     
   • What does it take to get a customer? Keep a customer?
     
     
 

6. Channels
   

   • How will you reach and sell to your customers? (Email, outbound sales, TikTok ads, etc.)
     
     
 

7. Key Metrics
   

   • What numbers actually matter? (CAC, LTV, churn, MRR growth, whatever keeps you up at night.)
     
     
 

8. Milestones & Team
   

• What are the next 3–6 milestones (launch, revenue, partnerships)?
  
• Who’s doing what? If it’s just you—own it.
  
  

Real-World Tips

• Use bullets, not paragraphs. This isn’t a novel. Each section should fit on one slide or half a page.
  
  
• Make it dynamic. Update it monthly or quarterly. A lean plan is a living doc.
  
  
• Test assumptions fast. It’s not a promise to investors—it’s a map for learning.
  
  

AI Prompts

1. What are the key components of a lean business plan for a SaaS company?
   
   
2. Can you help me write a lean business plan for a new fitness coaching service?
   
   
3. What metrics should I include in a lean business plan for an e-commerce startup?
   
   
4. Give me a one-page lean business plan template for a product-based business.
   
   
5. How do I turn a traditional business plan into a lean version?
   
   

Final Thought

A lean business plan isn’t about impressing investors—it’s about getting clarity so you can actually run the damn business. Keep it short. Keep it honest. Keep it actionable. Then shut the laptop and go talk to a customer. That’s how real traction starts.