Businessmodel of Trello

Customer Segments

Trello has a mass market business model, with no significant differentiation between customers. The product is marketed at anyone who wants to manage projects individually or with teams. It has a wide range of potential personal and work uses, including software project management, real estate management, law office case management, school bulletin board planning, and lesson planning.

Value Proposition

Trello offers five primary value propositions: price, accessibility, convenience, risk reduction, and brand/status.

The company’s product offers a free version. Users can create as many cards, boards, and teams as they like, and also add as many people as they desire at no extra cost. That said, there are paid options offering more advanced features.

The company creates accessibility by offering apps for the iPad, iPhone, Android phones, and Kindle Fire tablets. It also works with most mobile browsers, including Internet Explorer, Safari on iOS8, and Android 4.0+.

The company’s product offers convenience through its drag-and-drop interface. The feature enables users to easily move people over to cards and designate tasks. It also provides notifications and works in real-time so that changes that a user makes are seen right away by other team members.

The company’s product reduces risk through its security features. Users have total control over who can see their boards. Also, all data is transmitted through an SSL/HTTPS connection, the same encryption technology utilized by financial institutions such as banks. Trello also maintains off-site, encrypted backups of all data just in case it is somehow lost.

The company has established a strong brand due to its popularity. The product has over 12 million registered users, with one million of them being monthly active users. Further, it has a number of major clients, including Google, PayPal, Pixar, Adobe, Kickstarter, The Verge, Icon, and FreshDirect.

Channels

Trello’s main channel is its website, through which customers can easily sign up for its Free or Business Class plans. The company’s direct sales team focuses on acquiring large organizations as customers. Trello also promotes its product through its website and social media pages.

Customer Relationships

Trello’s customer relationship is primarily of a self-service, automated nature. Customers utilize the service through the main platform while having limited interaction with employees. The company’s website offers a few self-help resources, namely articles addressing common questions, API documentation, and a newsletter for developers.

Key Activities

Trello’s business model entails maintaining and updating its software platform for its more than 12 million users. The platform includes its website and mobile apps.

Key Partners

Trello works with various partner companies to offer “Power-Ups”, third-party tools that can be integrated into its app to make it more powerful. Specific partners include Giphy, SurveyMonkey, Zendesk, Harvest, Join.me, Corello, Publicate, Elegantt, and FogBugz.

Key Resources

Trello’s main resource is its proprietary software platform, which serves 12 million users.  It also depends on its human resources in the form of technology and sales staff.  Lastly, as a relatively new start-up it has relied heavily on funding from outsiders, raising $10.3 million from three investors as of July 2014.

Cost Structure

Trello has a cost-driven structure, aiming to minimize expenses through significant automation and low-price value propositions. Its biggest cost drivers are likely in the areas of administration and sales.

Revenue Streams

Trello has one revenue stream: the subscription fees it charges for access to advanced versions of its solution. Its pricing tiers are as follows:

• Business Class – Offers team overviews, app integrations, and more security; price is $8.33 per user per month, and the company only charges for active users (when team members become inactive, it automatically credits the team leader’s account)
• Enterprise – Has same offerings as Business Class but is targeted at large organizations managing multiple teams across the solution; price is $20.83 per user per month