positioning-workshop

$2a

Why This Works

• Structured discovery: Prevents "positioning by committee" (too vague)

• Evidence-based: Uses real marketing materials, customer feedback, competitive intel

• Adaptive: Questions adjust based on B2B vs. B2C, new product vs. repositioning, etc.

• Actionable output: Generates a Geoffrey Moore positioning statement ready for stakeholder review

Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)

• Not a tagline generator: Positioning ≠ marketing copy

• Not feature-first: Starts with customer problems, not product capabilities

• Not consensus-driven: Forces hard choices (can't be "for everyone")

When to Use This

• Defining positioning for a new product

• Repositioning an existing product (pivot, market shift)

• Aligning stakeholders on product strategy

• Preparing for launch or major release

• Before writing positioning-dependent artifacts (PRD, press release, sales deck)

When NOT to Use This

• Before customer research (positioning requires validated insights)

• For internal tools with captive users (no market positioning needed)

• When positioning is already clear and validated

Facilitation Source of Truth

Use workshop-facilitation as the default interaction protocol for this skill.

It defines:

• session heads-up + entry mode (Guided, Context dump, Best guess)

• one-question turns with plain-language prompts

• progress labels (for example, Context Qx/8 and Scoring Qx/5)

• interruption handling and pause/resume behavior

• numbered recommendations at decision points

• quick-select numbered response options for regular questions (include Other (specify) when useful)

This file defines the domain-specific assessment content. If there is a conflict, follow this file's domain logic.

Application

This interactive skill asks up to 5 adaptive questions, offering 3-4 enumerated context-aware options at each step.

Interaction pattern: Pair with skills/workshop-facilitation/SKILL.md when you want a one-step-at-a-time flow with numbered recommendations at decision points and quick-select options for regular questions. If the user asks for a single-shot output, skip the multi-turn facilitation.

Step 0: Gather Context (Before Questions)

Agent suggests:

Before we begin, let's gather product context to ground our positioning work:

For Your Own Product:

• Current website copy (homepage, product pages, value prop)

• Existing positioning statements or messaging docs

• Customer testimonials or case studies

• Sales objections or competitive win/loss analysis

• Product descriptions or feature lists

For Repositioning an Existing Product:

• Current positioning (what are you saying today?)

• Customer feedback or support tickets (what problems do they report?)

• Competitive intel (how do competitors position themselves?)

If You Don't Have a Product Yet (or Want to Benchmark):

• Find 2-3 competitor or analog products

• Copy their website homepage, positioning statements, or value props

• We'll use these as reference points

You can paste this content directly, or we can proceed with a brief description.

Question 1: Target Customer Segment

Agent asks:

"Based on the context provided, who is the primary customer segment you're serving?"

Offer 4 enumerated options (adapted based on product context):

• B2B: SMB decision-makers — E.g., "Small business owners (10-50 employees) managing operations" (like Gusto, QuickBooks)

• B2B: Enterprise buyers — E.g., "IT/Product leaders at companies with 500+ employees" (like Salesforce, Workday)

• B2C: Mass market consumers — E.g., "Gen Z users (18-25) seeking budgeting tools" (like Mint, Venmo)

• B2C: Niche enthusiasts — E.g., "Fitness enthusiasts tracking macros and workouts" (like MyFitnessPal, Strava)

Or describe your own target customer segment (be specific: demographics, role, company size, behaviors).

Adaptation tip: If marketing materials mention "enterprises," "SMBs," "consumers," or specific personas, suggest those.

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 2: Underserved Need (Jobs-to-be-Done)

Agent asks:

"What underserved need or pain point does your target customer experience that your product addresses?"

Offer 4 enumerated options (adapted based on Question 1):

Example (if Q1 = B2B SMB decision-makers):

• Time-consuming manual work — E.g., "Spend 10+ hours/week on tasks that should be automated" (invoice processing, payroll, reporting)

• Lack of visibility or control — E.g., "Can't see real-time status of projects, causing missed deadlines" (project tracking, dashboards)

• Compliance or risk burden — E.g., "Fear of tax penalties or legal issues due to manual errors" (accounting, HR compliance)

• Costly inefficiency — E.g., "Losing revenue due to slow processes or customer friction" (sales ops, customer onboarding)

Or describe the specific pain point/unmet need based on customer research, support tickets, or competitive gaps.

Adaptation tip: Use language from customer testimonials or case studies in the provided materials.

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 3: Product Category

Agent asks:

"What product category does your solution fit into? (This anchors how buyers evaluate you.)"

Offer 4 enumerated options (adapted based on Q1 + Q2):

Example (if Q1 = B2B SMB, Q2 = Time-consuming manual work):

• Workflow automation platform — E.g., "Automates repetitive tasks across apps" (like Zapier, Integromat)

• Business management software — E.g., "All-in-one platform for operations (invoicing, payroll, CRM)" (like HubSpot, Zoho)

• Vertical SaaS — E.g., "Purpose-built for a specific industry (e.g., HVAC, legal, dental)" (like Jobber, Clio)

• AI-powered assistant — E.g., "AI tool that automates workflows via natural language" (like Notion AI, Jasper)

Or define your own category. Note: Creating a new category is risky—pick an existing one unless you have strong rationale.

Adaptation tip: If competitors are in a clear category, default to that unless you're deliberately creating a new one.

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 4: Key Benefit (Outcome, Not Features)

Agent asks:

"What's the primary benefit or outcome your product delivers? (Focus on what the customer gets, not what the product has.)"

Offer 3 enumerated options (adapted based on Q2 need):

Example (if Q2 = Time-consuming manual work):

• Time savings — E.g., "Reduces manual work from 10 hours/week to 1 hour" (measurable efficiency)

• Error reduction — E.g., "Eliminates 95% of manual data entry errors" (accuracy/risk mitigation)

• Cost savings — E.g., "Saves $500/month in labor costs by automating invoicing" (direct ROI)

Or describe the specific, measurable outcome your product delivers.

Quality check: Avoid features ("has AI," "includes dashboards"). Focus on outcomes ("makes decisions 3x faster," "prevents compliance violations").

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 5: Competitive Differentiation

Agent asks:

"What's your primary competitor or competitive alternative, and how do you differ?"

Offer 4 enumerated options (adapted based on Q3 category):

Example (if Q3 = Workflow automation platform):

• Incumbent SaaS leader — E.g., "Unlike Zapier (which requires technical setup), we offer no-code visual workflows accessible to non-technical users"

• Spreadsheets/manual processes — E.g., "Unlike Excel (which requires manual updates), we provide real-time automated sync across tools"

• Vertical competitor — E.g., "Unlike generic automation tools, we're pre-built for [industry] with templates and compliance features"

• Enterprise-only solutions — E.g., "Unlike enterprise tools (complex, expensive), we're designed for SMBs with simple pricing and 10-minute setup"

Or describe your primary competitive alternative and your unique differentiation (focus on outcomes, not features).

Adaptation tip: Use competitive intel from provided materials (win/loss analysis, sales objections).

User response: [Selection or custom]

Output: Generate Positioning Statement

After collecting responses, the agent generates a positioning statement using the positioning-statement.md format:

# Positioning Statement

**Based on your responses, here's your positioning statement:**

---

## Value Proposition

**For** [Target customer from Q1]

- **that need** [Underserved need from Q2]

- [Product name]

- **is a** [Product category from Q3]

- **that** [Key benefit from Q4]

---

## Differentiation Statement

- **Unlike** [Primary competitor from Q5]

- [Product name]

- **provides** [Unique differentiation from Q5]

---

## Positioning Summary (One-Sentence Version)

[Product name] is a [category] for [target] that [benefit], unlike [competitor] which [limitation].

**Example:** "Acme Workflows is a no-code automation platform for small business owners that reduces manual work from 10 hours/week to 1 hour, unlike Zapier which requires technical setup and coding knowledge."

---

## Next Steps

1. **Stress-test this positioning:**

   - Read it aloud to 5 target customers. Do they recognize themselves?

   - Share with stakeholders (product, marketing, sales). Does it align?

   - Check if differentiation is defensible (can competitors copy this in 6 months?).

2. **Refine based on feedback:**

   - If target feels too broad → Narrow further (e.g., "SMB owners" → "SMB owners in service industries")

   - If need isn't resonating → Validate with more customer research

   - If category confuses → Pick a clearer category or commit to category creation

3. **Apply to artifacts:**

   - Update website homepage and product pages

   - Revise sales deck and pitch materials

   - Use in PRD, press release, or roadmap planning (reference `press-release.md`, `positioning-statement.md`)

---

**Would you like to refine any part of this positioning, or shall we document it as final?**

Examples

Example 1: Good Positioning Workshop (B2B SaaS Automation)

Step 0 - Context Provided:

User shares current website copy:

"Acme Workflows helps small businesses automate repetitive tasks. Connect your apps and save time."

Question 1 Response: "B2B: SMB decision-makers — Small business owners (10-50 employees) managing operations"

Question 2 Response: "Time-consuming manual work — Spend 10+ hours/week on invoice processing, data entry, reporting"

Question 3 Response: "Workflow automation platform — Automates repetitive tasks across apps"

Question 4 Response: "Time savings — Reduces manual work from 10 hours/week to 1 hour"

Question 5 Response: "Incumbent SaaS leader — Unlike Zapier (which requires technical setup), we offer no-code visual workflows accessible to non-technical users"

Generated Positioning Statement:

## Value Proposition

**For** small business owners (10-50 employees) managing daily operations

- **that need** to eliminate 10+ hours/week spent on manual tasks like invoice processing, data entry, and reporting

- Acme Workflows

- **is a** no-code workflow automation platform

- **that** reduces manual work from 10 hours/week to 1 hour by automating repetitive tasks across apps

## Differentiation Statement

- **Unlike** Zapier, which requires technical setup and coding knowledge

- Acme Workflows

- **provides** visual, no-code workflows that non-technical business owners can set up in 10 minutes

## Positioning Summary

Acme Workflows is a no-code automation platform for small business owners that reduces manual work from 10 hours/week to 1 hour, unlike Zapier which requires technical setup and coding knowledge.

Why this works:

• Target is specific (SMB owners, 10-50 employees, operations focus)

• Need is measurable (10+ hours/week on manual tasks)

• Category is clear (workflow automation)

• Benefit is outcome-focused (10 hours → 1 hour)

• Differentiation is defensible (no-code vs. technical setup)

Example 2: Bad Positioning Workshop (Vague)

Question 1 Response: "Businesses"

Question 2 Response: "Need better tools"

Question 3 Response: "Software"

Question 4 Response: "Productivity"

Question 5 Response: "We're better than competitors"

Generated Positioning Statement:

**For** businesses

- **that need** better tools

- ProductX

- **is a** software

- **that** improves productivity

**Unlike** competitors

- ProductX

- **provides** better features

Why this fails:

• Target is too broad ("businesses" = everyone)

• Need is vague ("better tools" = meaningless)

• Category is not specific ("software" says nothing)

• Benefit is unmeasurable ("productivity" = how much?)

• Differentiation is empty ("better features" = unverifiable)

How to fix: Go back and answer with specificity. Use customer research, not guesses.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: "For Everyone"

Symptom: Target is "all businesses" or "anyone who wants to be productive"

Consequence: Positioning becomes invisible—no one feels it's for them.

Fix: Narrow ruthlessly. Pick the first customer segment. You can expand later.

Pitfall 2: Need is a Feature Request

Symptom: "Need better dashboards" or "Need AI-powered analytics"

Consequence: You've jumped to solution, not problem.

Fix: Ask "Why do they need that?" Keep asking until you hit the root need.

Pitfall 3: Category Confusion

Symptom: "We're a next-generation platform for digital transformation"

Consequence: Buyers don't know how to evaluate you.

Fix: Pick a category buyers understand. If creating a new one, budget for category education.

Pitfall 4: Differentiation is a Feature

Symptom: "Unlike competitors, we have AI"

Consequence: Features are copiable. Not durable differentiation.

Fix: Focus on outcomes: "Unlike competitors, we reduce setup time from 2 hours to 10 minutes."

Pitfall 5: No Customer Validation

Symptom: Positioning created in a vacuum, never tested with customers

Consequence: It sounds good internally but doesn't resonate externally.

Fix: Read positioning statement to 5 target customers. If they don't say "Yes, that's me," revise.

References

Related Skills

• positioning-statement.md — The output format this workshop generates

• proto-persona.md — Defines the "For [target]" segment

• jobs-to-be-done.md — Informs the "that need" statement

• problem-statement.md — Problem framing supports positioning

• press-release.md — Positioning informs press release messaging

External Frameworks

• Geoffrey Moore, Crossing the Chasm (1991) — Origin of positioning statement format

• April Dunford, Obviously Awesome (2019) — Modern positioning methodology

Dean's Work

• Positioning Statement Prompt Template

Skill type: Interactive

Suggested filename: positioning-workshop.md

Suggested placement: /skills/interactive/

Dependencies: Uses positioning-statement.md, references proto-persona.md, jobs-to-be-done.md, problem-statement.md