--- name: launch-positioning-builder description: > Research competitors, analyze their messaging, and generate a positioning document with category definition, differentiation claims, value propositions, and proof points. Chains web research, competitor site analysis, and review mining to produce a positioning doc ready for website copy and sales deck use. Use when a product marketing team needs to define or refresh positioning ahead of a launch, rebrand, or competitive shift. tags: [brand] --- # Launch Positioning Builder Research the competitive landscape and produce a complete positioning document — category definition, differentiation claims, value props, proof points, and messaging hierarchy. Output is directly usable in website copy, sales decks, and investor materials. **Built for:** First PMM hire at a seed/Series A startup, or a founder wearing the product marketing hat. The output should be opinionated, not a generic template. ## When to Use - "Help me position [product] against [competitors]" - "We need a positioning doc before our launch" - "How should we differentiate from [competitor]?" - "Rewrite our positioning — it's too generic" - "What category should we create or own?" ## Phase 0: Intake 1. **Product name + URL** — What are you positioning? 2. **One-sentence pitch** — How do you describe what you do today? 3. **Top 2-3 competitors** — Names + URLs. Who does your buyer compare you to? 4. **ICP** — Title, company type, stage (e.g., "Head of Growth at Series A B2B SaaS") 5. **Key differentiators** — What do you believe makes you different? (even if not yet articulated) 6. **Existing proof points** — Customer wins, metrics, logos, quotes (anything you have) 7. **Positioning trigger** — Why now? (new launch, competitive pressure, rebrand, entering new segment) ## Phase 1: Competitive Landscape Research ### 1A: Competitor Website Analysis For each competitor, research and extract: ``` Search: "[competitor name]" site:[competitor-url] Search: "[competitor name]" positioning OR "we help" OR "the only" Fetch: competitor homepage, pricing page, about page ``` Extract from each competitor: - **Tagline / hero copy** — their primary claim - **Category language** — what category do they put themselves in? - **Key differentiators** — what do they emphasize? - **Proof points** — customer logos, metrics, case studies - **Pricing model** — free trial, freemium, enterprise, usage-based - **Target audience language** — who do they say they serve? ### 1B: Review Mining (if available) If competitors have G2/Capterra reviews, scan for: - What customers praise (their perceived strengths) - What customers complain about (your potential wedge) - How customers describe the category ### 1C: Ad Copy Analysis (optional) Search for competitor ad copy: ``` Search: "[competitor name]" advertisement OR "sponsored" ``` Ad copy reveals what competitors believe converts — their sharpest positioning. ## Phase 2: Positioning Framework Build the positioning doc using April Dunford's framework adapted for early-stage: ### 2A: Category Definition | Approach | When to Use | Example | |----------|-------------|---------| | **Existing category** | You compete head-to-head | "CRM for startups" | | **Subcategory** | You serve a niche better | "AI-native sales engagement" | | **New category** | You do something genuinely different | "Revenue orchestration platform" | **Decision criteria:** - If your ICP already searches for the category → use existing or subcategory - If you'd spend 50% of sales calls explaining the category → don't create a new one - If no existing category captures what you do → create one, but keep it intuitive ### 2B: Competitive Alternatives What would your customer do if you didn't exist? - Direct competitors (same category) - Adjacent tools (partial overlap) - Manual process (spreadsheets, hiring, doing nothing) ### 2C: Unique Attributes → Value Props Map each differentiator to a customer value: | Unique Attribute | Value to Customer | Proof Point | |-----------------|-------------------|-------------| | [What you have] | [Why they care] | [Evidence] | | [What you have] | [Why they care] | [Evidence] | ### 2D: Messaging Hierarchy | Level | Message | Use Where | |-------|---------|-----------| | **Positioning statement** | For [ICP] who [pain], [Product] is the [category] that [key differentiator]. Unlike [alternative], we [unique value]. | Internal alignment, PR | | **Primary headline** | [Outcome-driven claim] | Homepage hero, ads | | **Supporting messages (3)** | [Value prop 1], [Value prop 2], [Value prop 3] | Feature sections, sales deck | | **Proof line** | [Metric or customer quote] | Below the fold, case studies | ## Phase 3: Competitive Positioning Map Create a 2x2 positioning matrix: ``` [Dimension A: e.g., Ease of Use] High | [You] | [Competitor A] | ──────────────────┼────────────────── | [Competitor C] | [Competitor B] | Low Low ──────────────────────── High [Dimension B: e.g., Enterprise-readiness] ``` Choose dimensions where you win on at least one axis. Avoid dimensions where you lose on both. ## Phase 4: Output Format ```markdown # Positioning Document — [Product Name] Created: [DATE] | Trigger: [launch/rebrand/competitive shift] --- ## Positioning Statement For [ICP] who [pain point], [Product] is the [category] that [key differentiator]. Unlike [primary alternative], we [unique value that matters to ICP]. --- ## Category **Category:** [name] **Approach:** [Existing / Subcategory / New] **Rationale:** [1-2 sentences on why this framing] --- ## Competitive Landscape ### Direct Competitors | Competitor | Positioning | Strength | Weakness (your wedge) | |-----------|-------------|----------|----------------------| | [Name] | "[Their tagline]" | [What they do well] | [Where they fall short] | ### Alternative Solutions - [Manual process / spreadsheet / hiring] - [Adjacent tool category] --- ## Value Propositions ### Primary: [Headline claim] [2-sentence explanation + proof point] ### Secondary A: [Value prop] [2-sentence explanation + proof point] ### Secondary B: [Value prop] [2-sentence explanation + proof point] --- ## Proof Points Library ### With Metrics - "[Customer quote with number]" — [Source] - [Metric]: [claim] — [evidence] ### Logos & Social Proof - [Customer logos to feature] - [Review platform ratings] --- ## Messaging by Audience ### [Persona 1: e.g., Founder/CEO] - **Pain:** [What keeps them up at night] - **Hook:** "[Message that resonates]" - **Proof:** [Evidence they'd trust] ### [Persona 2: e.g., Head of Growth] - **Pain:** ... - **Hook:** ... - **Proof:** ... --- ## Positioning Map [2x2 matrix with chosen dimensions] --- ## Where to Deploy This Positioning | Asset | Key Message | Priority | |-------|------------|----------| | Homepage hero | [Primary headline] | P0 — update now | | Sales deck slide 2-3 | [Positioning statement] | P0 | | LinkedIn company tagline | [One-liner] | P1 | | Cold email opening line | [Pain hook] | P1 | | G2 profile description | [Category + differentiator] | P2 | --- ## What We're NOT Saying (Guardrails to keep messaging consistent) - We don't claim to be [X] — that's [competitor]'s territory - We don't target [segment] — outside our ICP - We avoid the word "[buzzword]" — overused, means nothing ``` Save to the current working directory as `positioning-[YYYY-MM-DD].md` (or user-specified path). ## Cost | Component | Cost | |-----------|------| | Web research (competitor sites) | Free | | Review mining (if using review-site-scraper) | ~$0.50-1.00 | | All analysis and positioning | Free (LLM reasoning) | | **Total** | **Free — $1** | ## Tools Required - **web_search** — for competitor research - **fetch_webpage** — for analyzing competitor sites - **Optional:** `review-site-scraper` for review-based insights ## Trigger Phrases - "Build a positioning doc for [product]" - "How should we position against [competitor]?" - "We need positioning before our launch" - "Run the positioning builder for [client]"