How to craft a value proposition that customers actually care about

Learning goal

If your customer doesn’t get it, they won’t buy it.

Many Filipino founders struggle to explain what they do.
They talk about features, apps, or big visions, but forget the real question:
Why should I care?

A strong value proposition cuts through the noise.
It shows exactly how your startup solves a real problem, and why your solution is better than the rest.

Why it matters

1. What is a value proposition, really?
   It’s the clearest answer to three questions:

• Who is your product for?

• What problem does it solve?

• Why is it better or different?
  If you can answer that in plain language, you’re already ahead of 90 percent of startups.

2. Start with the pain, not the product
   A value proposition isn’t about what you do, it’s about what people get.

Bad: “we’re a logistics platform powered by AI.”
Better: “we help small businesses in Cebu deliver faster and cheaper without tech headaches.”
Make your value about the outcome, not the features.

3. Use the value proposition canvas
   This tool helps you connect what you offer with what your customer actually needs.

Customer side: jobs, pains, and gains
Startup side: products, pain relievers, gain creators
Your job is to match one side to the other. That’s where value lives.

4. Speak their language, not yours
   Drop the jargon. Use the exact words your customer would use.

If your user says, “ang tagal ng delivery,”
Your value prop could be:
“Same-day delivery for online sellers. No more long wait times.”

When your value sounds like something they’d say, you’ve nailed it.

5. Test it like a headline
   Short, clear, and punchy, your value prop should fit on a billboard or IG bio.
   Would someone say, “that’s exactly what I need”?
   If not, keep refining.

Quick checklist

• Customer and problem are clearly defined

• Focused on outcome, not just features

• Message uses the customer’s own words

• Tested with real people and got a “yes”

• Fits in one sentence, no jargon

What to do next / StellarPH tip

Try pitching your value prop to 3 people who match your target customer.
If they don’t “get it” right away or don’t lean in, you’ve got work to do.