Product positioning

Position products by starting from what customers would do without you — not from your features or aspirations. April Dunford's Obviously Awesome framework works because it's grounded in reality: what alternatives exist, what you do differently, and who cares most about that difference.

The Five Steps (In Order)#

These steps are sequential. Do NOT skip ahead or rearrange.

1. Competitive Alternatives#

What would your best customers do if you didn't exist? List real alternatives:

• Direct competitors
• Indirect solutions (spreadsheets, hiring someone, different tools)
• Do nothing

Be honest. If "do nothing" is the primary alternative, that tells you a lot about urgency.

2. Unique Attributes#

What do you have that the alternatives don't? List concrete, verifiable capabilities — not marketing spin.

• "Real-time collaboration on specs" (verifiable)
• NOT "best-in-class experience" (unverifiable)

3. Value#

What do those unique attributes ENABLE for the customer? Translate features into outcomes.

• Attribute: "Real-time cursors and inline comments on any document"
• Value: "Get feedback from your team in minutes instead of waiting for a meeting"

4. Best-Fit Customers#

Who cares MOST about the value you deliver? Define them tightly:

• "Remote teams of 5-15 who collaborate daily but drown in Slack threads and lost Google Docs"
• NOT "product managers" (too broad)

Best-fit customers have: the problem acutely, tried alternatives, have budget/authority, and get the most value from your unique attributes.

5. Market Category#

What market do you position in so that your value is obvious? This is the LAST decision, not the first.

Options:

• Existing category: "We're a [known category] that [key differentiator]." Works when the category is well-understood and your differentiator is strong.
• Subcategory: "We're [modifier] + [existing category]." Works when you serve a specific segment better. E.g., "async-first collaboration tool."
• New category: Create a new name. Only works if you have the budget and patience to educate the market. Almost always the wrong choice for startups.

Guidelines#

• CRITICAL: NEVER position in a vacuum. Always start from competitive alternatives.
• NEVER lead with the market category. It's the output of positioning, not the input.
• ALWAYS position for your best-fit customers, not for everyone. Trying to appeal to everyone means resonating with no one.
• NEVER confuse features with value. Features are what you built. Value is what the customer gets.
• ALWAYS pressure-test by asking: "If I told my best-fit customer this positioning in one sentence, would they immediately get why they should care?"
• NEVER use superlatives you can't prove ("best," "most powerful," "leading"). Use specifics.

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Built on Obviously Awesome by April Dunford. Skills from productskills (opens in a new tab).