ICP Acceptance Path canvas
The chapter “Map the Path an ICP Takes From Problem to Continued Use” explains the fields. Use your own stage names. The twelve below are one sales-led example: trigger, awareness, message, consideration, qualified interest, evaluation, selection, setup, first useful action, repeated use, demonstrated value, continued use.
Version the path and date it.
| Stage | Actor (a named person or role) | Input | Expected action | Expected understanding | Evidence produced | Failure mode | Next transition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variants
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Product-led: drop qualified interest, and merge evaluation and selection. Add the first useful action before any purchase.
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Channel-led: add the partner’s restatement of the promise as its own stage.
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Enterprise: add procurement, security review, and implementation.
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Professional or clinical referral: add the referrer’s statement of the promise.
Checks
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Is there a named person or role at every stage?
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Is every “expected action” something you could observe?
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Which stages have no data at all? Mark them. They are your first instrumentation work.
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Where do the actor and the decision-maker differ? Write both goals.