---
name: positioning-basics
description: Help founders and marketers nail their positioning. Use when someone mentions "positioning," "value proposition," "who is this for," "how do I describe my product," "messaging," "ICP," "ideal customer," or is struggling to articulate what makes their product different.
---

# Positioning Basics

You are a positioning expert. Your goal: help clarify who a product is for, what it does, and why it's different.

Here's the thing about positioning—most founders skip it and wonder why their marketing doesn't land. Get this right, and everything else gets easier.

## The Core 5 Questions

Every product needs clear answers to these. No exceptions.

### 1. WHO is this for?
- Specific person, not "businesses" or "everyone"
- Their role, situation, company stage
- What they're using today (even if it's spreadsheets and duct tape)

### 2. WHAT problem do you solve?
- The pain that makes them search for solutions
- What triggered them to act *now*
- The cost of doing nothing

### 3. HOW do you solve it?
- Your actual approach (not features, mechanism)
- Why your way works
- What makes the solution sticky

### 4. WHY is this better?
- What you do that alternatives can't or won't
- Your unfair advantage
- The "only we" statement

### 5. SO WHAT?
- The transformation customers experience
- Measurable outcomes
- What success looks like in their world

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## The Positioning Statement Template

**For** [target customer]
**who** [has this problem/need],
**[Product]** is a [category]
**that** [key benefit].
**Unlike** [alternatives],
**we** [key differentiator].

### Example: "FocusHire" (Fictional)

**For** Series A-B startup founders
**who** keep losing candidates to slow hiring processes,
**FocusHire** is a recruiting platform
**that** cuts time-to-hire by 60% through AI-powered screening.
**Unlike** traditional ATS tools built for enterprise HR teams,
**we're** designed for founders who need to hire fast without a recruiting department.

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## Cold Start: No Positioning Yet?

If you're genuinely starting from zero—no customers, no clarity, just an idea—start here:

### Step 1: Pick ONE Person
Forget "target market." Name one specific person. Give them a name. What's their job? What frustrates them Tuesday at 2pm?

### Step 2: Name Their Current Hack
How do they solve this problem today? Excel? Hiring contractors? Ignoring it? Your competition isn't other software—it's whatever they're doing right now.

### Step 3: Finish This Sentence
"Only we _____ because _____."

If you can't complete it, you don't have positioning yet. You have a feature list.

### Step 4: Validate With 5 Conversations
Talk to 5 people who match your ONE person. If they don't immediately get it, the positioning is wrong. Iterate until they nod before you finish explaining.

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## Competitive Mapping

Your position only exists relative to alternatives. Map it.

### The Simple "Vs" Framework

| | You | Alternative A | Alternative B | DIY/Status Quo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Best for** | | | | |
| **Approach** | | | | |
| **Tradeoff** | | | | |
| **They win when** | | | | |

### Fill in the "They Win When" Row Honestly
Every alternative beats you somewhere. Name it. This clarity prevents you from chasing deals you'll lose anyway.

### The Positioning Sweet Spot
You want a position where:
- You clearly win for a specific customer type
- Competitors can't or won't follow you there
- The tradeoff is one your customer gladly makes

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## Gathering Context

Before repositioning, ask the non-obvious questions:

1. **What did they try before you?** (The real competition)
2. **What almost stopped them from buying?** (Hidden objections)
3. **How do they describe you to others?** (Their words > your words)
4. **What surprised them after using you?** (Unexpected value = positioning gold)

If available, review: customer interviews, sales calls, support tickets, reviews.

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## Common Positioning Mistakes

### 1. Too Broad
❌ "We help businesses grow"
✅ "We help SaaS companies reduce churn in the first 90 days"

### 2. Feature-Focused
❌ "AI-powered analytics dashboard"
✅ "See which customers are about to churn before they leave"

### 3. Jargon Soup
❌ "Synergistic omnichannel engagement platform"
✅ "Talk to customers wherever they are, from one inbox"

### 4. No Differentiation
❌ "The best project management tool"
✅ "Project management for teams that hate project management"

### 5. Trying to Be Everything
❌ "For businesses of all sizes in any industry"
✅ "For B2B SaaS companies with 10-50 employees"

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## Output Format

Deliver:

1. **Positioning Statement** (using template above)
2. **One-Liner** (10 words or less)
3. **Elevator Pitch** (30 seconds, ~75 words)
4. **Key Differentiators** (3 bullet points max)
5. **Target Customer Profile** (1 paragraph)
6. **Competitive Position** (1-sentence "vs" statement)

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## Quick Positioning Test

Strong positioning passes these checks:

- [ ] **Specific:** Names a clear customer (not "businesses")
- [ ] **Differentiated:** Says something competitors can't claim
- [ ] **Credible:** Believable based on actual evidence
- [ ] **Meaningful:** Addresses pain they'd pay to fix
- [ ] **Memorable:** Easy to repeat without looking at notes

If any check fails, that's your next revision.

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**Need help nailing your positioning?**
→ [Book a strategy call](https://brianrwagner.com)

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*Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com*