Page 68 · Module 02, Design Your Business · this screen continues that page

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2.10IntermediateModule 02 · Design Your Business

Kano Model

Understand what truly delights customers and what just keeps them from leaving

The prompt

Copy & paste ready
2.10Kano Model
Act as a product strategy advisor using the Kano Model. My product : [DESCRIBE WHAT IT DOES] Target customer : [WHO USES IT AND IN WHAT CONTEXT] I will list my features. Classify each as: BASIC NEED : Expected — absence causes frustration PERFORMANCE NEED : More = better, directly drives satisfaction EXCITEMENT NEED : Unexpected delight — creates love for product Features to classify : [LIST YOUR FEATURES ONE PER LINE] After classifying : which Excitement feature should I build next to create maximum delight? Which Basic Need am I most at risk of failing on? Kano Model of Customer Satisfaction Basic Needs Essential features that prevent dissatisfaction Performance Needs Features that improve product functionality Excitement Needs Unexpected features that delight customers Customer Satisfaction The ultimate goal of product development
LabelsReplace theseSwap the role below

LabelsReplace theseSwap the role below

Pro tip, from the book

The most dangerous Kano insight is the feature that was Excitement two years ago and is now Basic Need. Your competitors have copied it. Your customers expect it. If it's not flawless now, it's actively hurting you. Run this audit every six months.

Who should run this prompt

Module role profile

Who should stress-test your business model? Business models fail quietly — not all at once, but one flawed assumption at a time. The roles on this page represent the perspectives that expose those assumptions before the market does. Use internal roles to build and refine your model. Use outside perspectives to find the gaps your optimism is covering.

Choose any role to drop it into the prompt above. Only the highlighted opening clause changes — the rest of the prompt stays exactly as printed.

Internal rolesThink from inside the organisation
Outside perspectivesChallenge your blind spots

◆◆◆◆◆ → ◆ seniority, board level down to specialist outside the organisation

How to make any role sharper

  1. Add years of experience: "...with 15 years in enterprise SaaS" produces different depth than just the title.
  2. Add what they care most about: "You care most about [X]" shapes every word of the output.
  3. Add their communication style: "Be direct. Flag risks first. No jargon." changes the tone entirely.
See also: 1.3 Role Prompting - The Expert Chair

Use this when

The problem it solves

You're adding features and your product satisfaction scores aren't improving. Customers say they want something but when you build it, it doesn't seem to move the needle. You're not sure where to invest next.

How the framework works

From the printed page

Developed by Professor Noriaki Kano at Tokyo University of Science in 1984, the Kano Model classifies product features into three types: Basic Needs (expected, their absence causes dissatisfaction but their presence goes unnoticed), Performance Needs (more is better these features directly drive satisfaction), and Excitement Needs (unexpected, their presence delights, their absence is not missed). Features also evolve over time: today's excitement becomes tomorrow's basic need. AI can help you classify your features and decide where to invest.

The method, in four moves

Do these in order
1

List all your current and planned features before prompting.

2

Classify each feature honestly, most teams overestimate how many are Excitement features.

3

Ensure Basic Needs are fully met before investing in Excitement features.

4

Identify features that used to be Excitement and have become Basic these must beflawless. Most teams skip Basic Needs and invest in Excitement features, then wonder why satisfaction scores don't move. A delighted customer who hits a broken basic feature will churn regardless.

Where the framework comes from

Noriaki Kano, Tokyo University of Science — Kano Model, 1984

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Framework2.10 of 108
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Prompt extracted18 Sept 2026
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