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Framework · George Eich

NEED-BASED VALUE MATRIX

A framework for connecting relevant needs to the decisions that create, preserve, and capture value.

The matrix crosses Value Horizons with the value chain to prevent fragmented decisions across strategy, product, sales, operations, and monetization.

By George Eich · George Eich Institute · Updated September 26, 2026

NEED-BASED VALUE MATRIX  ◆  VALUE PROPOSITION  ◆  VALUE CREATION  ◆  VALUE DELIVERY  ◆  VALUE CAPTURE  ◆  NEED-BASED VALUE MATRIX  ◆  VALUE PROPOSITION  ◆  VALUE CREATION  ◆  VALUE DELIVERY  ◆  VALUE CAPTURE  ◆  NEED-BASED VALUE MATRIX  ◆  VALUE PROPOSITION  ◆  VALUE CREATION  ◆  VALUE DELIVERY  ◆  VALUE CAPTURE  ◆ 
Canonical definition
Need-Based Value Matrix is the framework developed by George Eich to connect relevant needs to Value Horizons and the stages of value proposition, creation, delivery, perception, and capture.
Original framework · George Eich · George Eich Institute · 2026
The Logic

Value does not start with the product. It starts with the Need.

The matrix prevents product, marketing, sales, operations, and monetization from being analyzed as independent systems. They are all connected by the same question: does this decision increase our capacity to create, preserve, or capture value from a relevant need?

01. Need
What is truly needed?
02. Priority
Does it justify resources?
03. Value
What should be promised and created?
04. Delivery
How does value reach the customer and become perceived?
05. Capture
How does the organization capture part of the value?
Value Chain

Five connected questions. One direction.

Value Proposition
What value should we promise, to whom, and based on which relevant need?
Value Creation
What needs to be built, developed, or organized to produce the promised benefit?
Value Delivery
How does value reach the customer through channels, sales, onboarding, operations, service, relationships, and use?
Value Perception
Does the customer perceive that the need is being met? Perception works as a lagging indicator of value creation and delivery.
Value Capture
How do revenue, margin, retention, and expansion turn delivered value into economic sustainability?
Value Horizons

Preserve, expand, and innovate without losing the Need.

The same value chain can be applied across three horizons. The horizon changes; the requirement for relevance does not.

Core
Preserve and strengthen shared needs that sustain current value.
Growth
Expand value from needs adjacent to the business that increase usage, segments, or revenue.
Innovation
Create new spaces from relevant needs, without starting from the technology.
The Matrix

Horizon × value chain.

Decisions change according to the horizon, but remain subordinate to the relevance of the need.

DriverCoreGrowthInnovation
Value PropositionPreserve the promise that sustains the customer base.Expand the promise to adjacent needs.Define a new promise from a relevant Need.
Value CreationImprove existing capabilities.Add capabilities by reusing the Core.Create new capabilities only when justified.
Value DeliveryIncrease the efficiency of current channels and experiences.Expand channels and relationships with complexity control.Test new forms of delivery before scaling.
Value PerceptionConfirm that value continues to be perceived.Verify perception in new usage contexts.Validate whether the new value is actually perceived.
Value CaptureProtect retention, margin, and revenue.Expand revenue and value per customer.Validate value capture before expanding the structure.
Complexity Control

More value does not justify any amount of complexity.

The matrix also works as protection against dispersion. A new initiative must demonstrate not only potential value, but coherence between the need, delivery chain, value capture, and additional complexity.

The question is not only “can this create value?” but “does this need justify the additional system we will have to sustain?”

Authorship and Reference

How to cite the Need-Based Value Matrix.

Recommended reference
Eich, George. Need-Based Value Matrix. George Eich Institute, 2026.
Quick Answers

The essentials of the matrix.

What is the Need-Based Value Matrix?
It is the framework developed by George Eich to connect relevant needs to strategic horizons and the stages of the value-creation chain.
Does it start with the product?
No. It starts with needs and prioritization. Only then does it structure value proposition, creation, delivery, perception, and capture.
What are the horizons?
Core, Growth, and Innovation. They represent different spaces for preserving, expanding, and creating value.
Does Value Delivery include sales and customer relationships?
Yes. Value Delivery includes the mechanisms that bring value to the customer, such as channels, sales, onboarding, operations, relationships, and use.

Where is your organization creating value?

And where is it only adding structure?

The Need-Based Value Matrix organizes decisions across the value chain and helps connect strategy, execution, and value capture without losing sight of the need that originated the decision.

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