Business Models & BMC
Pitching & Storytelling
Entrepreneurial Mindset
The Marvel Way (Case Study)
Blue Ocean
100

This tool helps entrepreneurs map out key components of their business, including customers, value, and revenue.

What is the Business Model Canvas?

100

This short, persuasive speech explains your business idea in under a minute.

What is a fast pitch?

100

Entrepreneurs often have this trait, which helps them bounce back after failure.

What is resilience?

100

This comic book character’s 2008 movie marked Marvel’s launch of its self-funded film studio and blue ocean strategy.

What is Iron Man?

100

This term describes markets with fierce competition and shrinking profits.

What is a red ocean?

200

This part of the BMC describes the group of people your business aims to serve.

What are Customer Segments?

200

This opening element grabs your audience’s attention and frames the problem you’re solving.

What is a hook or problem statement?

200

Entrepreneurs must be comfortable with uncertainty, which is referred to as this.

What is risk tolerance?

200

Marvel used this strategic method, opposite of value extraction, to create new demand in an uncontested market space.

What is value innovation?

200

Blue Ocean Strategy aims to do this instead of competing in existing markets.

What is create new market space?

300

These two sections of the BMC focus on how a business generates money and delivers customer value.

What are Revenue Streams and Value Proposition?

300

These real-world customer experiences add credibility to your pitch.

What are testimonials or case examples?

300

This approach means starting with available resources and focusing on what can be controlled.

What is effectuation?

300

To cut Hollywood costs, Marvel avoided big-name stars and instead focused on this key element of their IP.

What are the characters?

300

These are the four actions in the Blue Ocean Strategy framework: Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, and this.

What is Create?

400

This type of strategic shift occurs when a startup changes its business model based on customer feedback or market shifts.

What is a pivot?

400

This pitch formula stands for Problem, Agitate, and Solution.

What is the PAS formula?

400

This mindset trait drives entrepreneurs to keep asking questions and exploring new ideas.

What is curiosity or continuous learning?

400

To maintain creative control and ensure character consistency, Marvel formed this internal team made up of comic editors and executives.

What is the Creative Committee?

400

Marvel created a blue ocean by targeting this group, people who weren’t traditional comic readers.

Who are noncustomers?

500

This mindset trait drives entrepreneurs to keep asking questions and exploring new ideas.

What is curiosity or continuous learning?

500

These were the major early challenges Marvel and Cirque faced before finding success.

What are financial instability and market saturation?

500

This type of external change can present both challenges and new markets for entrepreneurs.

What is regulation or a new law?

500

This financing method allowed Marvel to make movies with no risk to the core business by using characters as collateral.

What is non-recourse debt or character-backed financing?

500

This tool helps visualize how a company differentiates itself across key competitive factors.

What is the Strategy Canvas?