---
name: business-motion-canvas
description: Map any active business motion (product, service, offer) onto a standardized 11-section canvas that diagnoses sell vs. deliver, ICP, outreach sequence, conversion mechanism, fulfillment, and kill criteria. Use when the user asks to analyze a stalled product, map outreach for a new offer, formalize a sales process, or audit why something isn't converting. Covers the pattern discovered across Premium Line, Free Website, Performance Lead-Gen, and Website Audit tracks.
---

# Business Motion Canvas

## Trigger
- User asks to analyze why a product/offer is stalled
- User asks to map outreach for a new motion
- User asks to formalize sell vs. deliver for something
- User says "let's talk about connecting X to Y" where X is a product and Y is a channel
- Any time a business motion needs a structured diagnosis before building/outreach

## The 11-section canvas

Every motion gets one file at `/root/.hermes/vault/Projects/Active/motion-canvases/<motion-name>.md` plus an HTML render at the same path with `.html` extension.

### Sections (in order)

1. **What we sell vs. what we deliver** — table with two columns: sell (buyer language) and deliver (what we actually build). Gap analysis after the table.

2. **Target vertical** — which trade/industry, why that vertical, what we know about the market.

3. **Ideal Customer Profile** — firmographics, psychographics, what they already use, what they don't want. Include a "what we DON'T want" section.

4. **List compilation** — how to find them, what filters to apply, target list size, what tools to use.

5. **The hook** — the specific opening line/evidence that gets attention. Include witnessed/verifiable intel, not invented stats.

6. **Outreach sequence** — table: touch number, channel, content, timing. Include channel priority order and what NOT to do.

7. **Conversion mechanism** — the step-by-step funnel from first touch to closed deal. Include the discovery call script or framework.

8. **Fulfillment** — what happens after yes: build steps, timeline, ongoing support, cost per client.

9. **Kill criteria** — 5 specific thresholds that tell us to pivot or stop. Must be measurable.

10. **Current status** — what's built, what's missing, where it stalled (product problem vs. outreach problem vs. delivery problem).

11. **What to do next** — numbered next actions, in priority order, with dependencies noted.

## Key principles (from the four canvases built 2026-08-15)

- **Separate product failure from outreach failure.** A product can be solid and still stall if the sales channel is wrong. Don't abandon technical work because outreach failed.
- **Walk-in is banned as a first touch** for all motions. It's a follow-up tool for warm leads only.
- **Cold SMS to strangers is banned** (TCPA applies regardless of channel, $500-1500/text). Post-opt-in SMS via Sendblue is fine.
- **The audit is a lead magnet, not a product.** Never sell audits — give them away to start conversations.
- **Free offers attract tire-kickers.** Frame as "I built you a site to show you what this looks like" not "free."
- **Performance billing needs a 90-day minimum and card on file.** Otherwise disputes kill the model.

## Output format
- Write the `.md` file first
- Then generate a `.html` render using the same markdown-to-HTML conversion pattern (see vault-indexing skill for the converter approach)
- Update `/root/.hermes/vault/index.html` with links to both files
- Deliver the HTML to the user via `MEDIA:` prefix so it opens inline

## HTML rendering
Use the motion-canvas HTML template with:
- Navy header (#0B1120), amber accents (#E8893A)
- Back link to vault index
- Tables rendered as actual HTML tables
- Bold, code, and lists formatted
- Mobile-responsive single-column layout

## Syncthing
All motion canvases are synced to Connie + Obsidian via Syncthing. No manual transfer needed.