Work in Progress

Business Model Markup Language

YAML-based business models for the AI age

Describe your business model in a structured, version-controllable format. Based on Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas.

View on GitHub See Examples

                        
                        version: "2.0"
                    
                        meta:
                    
                          name: "My Startup"
                    
                          stage: validation
                    
                        customer_segments:
                    
                          - id: cs-busy-pros
                    
                            name: "Busy Professionals"
                    
                            jobs:
                    
                              - id: job-save-time
                    
                                description: "Save time"
                    
                        # fits, channels, revenue...

Business Model Canvas

Capture all 9 building blocks in a single .bmml file

Customer Segments

Who are your most important customers?

Value Propositions

What value do you deliver to customers?

Channels

How do you reach and deliver value?

Customer Relationships

What type of relationship does each segment expect?

Revenue Streams

For what value are customers willing to pay?

Key Resources

What key resources do your value propositions require?

Key Activities

What key activities do your value propositions require?

Key Partnerships

Who are your key partners and suppliers?

Costs

What are the most important costs in your model?

Value Proposition Canvas

Deep-dive into customer-value fit with explicit relationships between customer needs and your solutions

Customer Profile

Jobs - Tasks customers want to accomplish

Pains - Frustrations and obstacles they face

Gains - Outcomes and benefits they desire

Value Map

Products & Services - Your offerings

Pain Relievers - How you alleviate pains

Gain Creators - How you create gains

BMML in Action

Real-world business model examples in BMML format

version: "2.0"

meta:
  name: "Airbnb"
  tagline: "Belong anywhere"
  portfolio: exploit
  stage: grow

customer_segments:
  - id: cs-guests
    name: Travelers & Guests
  - id: cs-hosts
    name: Property Hosts

value_propositions:
  - id: vp-guest-experience
    name: Unique Stays Anywhere
  - id: vp-host-platform
    name: Earn Money Hosting

channels:
  - id: ch-guest-app
    name: Guest Mobile App
    for:
      value_propositions: [vp-guest-experience]
      customer_segments: [cs-guests]

revenue_streams:
  - id: rs-guest-fee
    name: Guest Service Fee (8-15%)
    from:
      customer_segments: [cs-guests]
    for:
      value_propositions: [vp-guest-experience]

# Two-sided marketplace: guests and hosts...

version: "2.0"

meta:
  name: "Airbnb"
  portfolio: exploit
  stage: grow

customer_segments:
  - id: cs-guests
    name: Travelers & Guests
    pains:
      - id: pain-hotel-cost
        description: Hotels are expensive for longer stays
      - id: pain-trust-strangers
        description: Uncertainty about staying in stranger's property
    gains:
      - id: gain-cost-savings
        description: Save money compared to hotels
      - id: gain-local-immersion
        description: Live like a local, not a tourist

value_propositions:
  - id: vp-guest-experience
    name: Unique Stays Anywhere
    products_services:
      - id: ps-search-platform
        name: Search platform with 4M+ listings
    pain_relievers:
      - id: pr-price-comparison
        name: Easy comparison, often 15% below hotels
      - id: pr-trust-framework
        name: Host verification and guest protection
    gain_creators:
      - id: gc-space-value
        name: More space per dollar than hotels
      - id: gc-authentic-travel
        name: Stay in real neighborhoods

fits:
  - id: fit-guest-experience
    for:
      value_propositions: [vp-guest-experience]
      customer_segments: [cs-guests]
    mappings:
      - [pr-price-comparison, pain-hotel-cost]
      - [pr-trust-framework, pain-trust-strangers]
      - [gc-space-value, gain-cost-savings]
      - [gc-authentic-travel, gain-local-immersion]

# Full example: examples/airbnb.bmml

Airbnb (full example) Browse all examples Progressive detail

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BMML?

BMML (Business Model Markup Language) is a YAML-based format for describing business models. It provides a structured, machine-readable way to capture the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and Value Proposition Canvas (VPC), making your business models version-controllable, validatable, and analyzable by AI agents.

Who made this?

BMML was created by Hiasinho. It's an open-source project maintained on GitHub.

Is this official or approved by Osterwalder?

No. BMML is an independent, community-driven project. While it's based on Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas frameworks, it is not officially affiliated with or endorsed by Strategyzer or Osterwalder.

What's the goal?

The goal is to make business models first-class citizens in your codebase - structured data that can be validated, versioned, and analyzed alongside your code. This enables AI-powered analysis, meaningful diffs when your model evolves, and consistent representation across teams.

How can I contribute?

Contributions are welcome! Check out the GitHub repository to report issues, suggest features, or submit pull requests. You can also help by creating example BMML files for different business models.

Is this a commercial project?

No. BMML is open source and free to use. The project is released under an open-source license, and there are no commercial offerings or paid tiers.