Lottery Canvas

Intermediate
30 minutes

The Lottery Canvas is a unique business strategy tool that allows entrepreneurs to explore their aspirations and priorities through a creative exercise.

When you’re caught in the nitty-gritty of running a business, it’s easy to lose sight of what you really want. What would you do, if you could choose any activity? What things could you achieve and which parts would still be challenging?

Imagine you’ve just won a big pot of money in the lottery. What will you do differently, without financial barriers?

By combining the elements of imagination and strategic thinking, this tool helps entrepreneurs gain clarity on their goals, dreams, and priorities for their entrepreneurial journey.

The Lottery Canvas consists of two sections:

  1. Top 5 Things: In this section, the entrepreneur is prompted to draw or write down the top five things they would do with £1 billion. This exercise encourages entrepreneurs to think big and envision the impact they would like to create with substantial resources at their disposal. By focusing on the most important priorities and aspirations, entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights into their true passions and goals.
  2. Other Things (optional): Have more ideas? The second section of the Lottery Canvas provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to explore additional ideas, dreams, or goals that do not fit within the top five priorities. This section allows entrepreneurs to consider a broader range of possibilities and provides a space for creative expression and brainstorming.

Why this tool is important

The Lottery Canvas offers several benefits to entrepreneurs:

  1. Clarity of Priorities: By visualizing and articulating the top five things they would do with significant resources, entrepreneurs can gain clarity on their most important priorities and aspirations. This helps them focus their efforts on what truly matters to them and align their business strategies accordingly.
  2. Inspiration and Motivation: The Lottery Canvas exercise inspires entrepreneurs to think beyond limitations and conventional constraints. It encourages them to dream big, fostering motivation and enthusiasm for their entrepreneurial journey.
  3. Creative Exploration: The optional “Other Things” section allows entrepreneurs to explore a wider range of ideas, dreams, and goals. This promotes creative thinking and helps entrepreneurs uncover new possibilities that may have been overlooked.
  4. Alignment with Values and Passions: Through the exercise of envisioning how they would use significant resources, entrepreneurs can align their goals with their core values and passions. This alignment ensures that their entrepreneurial endeavors are fulfilling and meaningful on a personal level.
  5. Strategic Decision-Making: The insights gained from the Lottery Canvas exercise can inform strategic decision-making in business planning, goal setting, resource allocation, and prioritization. It helps entrepreneurs make informed choices that are aligned with their long-term vision.
Business Design Tools