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- Why Lean Canvases Often Mislead Founders
Why Lean Canvases Often Mislead Founders
A weekly email with the best of marketing, AI, and business.
Marketing in the age of Machines by Castleberry
September 04, 2025
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Welcome to Marketing in the Age of Machines. Each week, we bring you the following:
👉 An innovative marketing strategy that has worked for others.
👉 The 2 most relevant contents in marketing, AI, and business that will help you understand the ever-changing landscape.
👉 3 tools for the Marketer of the Future.
👉 The quote of the week. A simple take on everyday marketing concepts.
Problem
Founders often fill out lean canvases without validating assumptions, making them a checklist that adds little real value.
Solution
Leave the canvas mostly blank until you talk to users; focus on understanding their pain points and workflows rather than fitting ideas into rigid boxes.
Lesson
Real insight and growth come from listening to users, not completing templates. Build your business from the ground up based on evidence.
I've been forced to fill this out so many times and it's unfortunately provided very little value
Lean canvases are reductive and (most) founders start filling out all the boxes without any validation from their users
That is the worst part about these lean canvases, they
— David Park (@Davidjpark96)
2:15 PM • Aug 17, 2025
1/. Revenue Run Rate: A Simple Way to Forecast Growth
For B2B marketers, understanding revenue run rate (RRR) is key to forecasting and planning. Jesse Wisnewski explains how to calculate RRR and why adjusting for churn, growth, and acquisition channels gives a clearer picture of business performance. Reading the full post helps marketers make smarter decisions about strategy and resource allocation.
Read the full post here:
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2/. 8 B2B Content Types Proven to Drive Conversions
Blogs are great for awareness, but B2B marketers need more to drive conversions. Videos, webinars, interactive tools, case studies, and templates engage prospects at different stages, build trust, and generate qualified leads. The full post shows which formats work best and how to use them effectively.
Read the full post here:
👉 Tools in the Age of Machines:
Mindy AI Studio: Create and customize AI chatbots for websites and apps.
Supadev: Generate project documentation to improve AI-assisted coding.
Vidnoz: Produce AI-generated videos with avatars, voices, and templates.
Authenticity in marketing doesn’t need forced metaphors."