---
name: positioning-doc
description: >
  Write a product positioning document. Use when the user says "write a positioning doc",
  "positioning statement", "how should we position this product", "positioning for [product]",
  "we need to differentiate from competitors", "product positioning and messaging",
  "positioning workshop", "help me define our position in the market", or wants to establish
  how a product should be perceived relative to competitors.
---

## Overview

Based on **"Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind"** by Al Ries and Jack Trout. Positioning is not about what you do to a product - it is what you do to the mind of the prospect. The key insight: the first brand to own a concept in the mind wins. If you are not first, you must find a category where you can be first, or reframe the competition entirely. This skill produces a positioning document that anchors all downstream messaging.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Define the competitive alternatives

Before writing anything, answer: what would your customer use if your product did not exist? This is not your competitor list - it is the actual behavior they would fall back to. Spreadsheets, a competitor's tool, doing nothing, hiring someone. List 2-4 concrete alternatives.

This matters because positioning is always relative. You cannot claim an attribute without implying "unlike [alternative]."

### Step 2: Identify your differentiated capabilities

List the specific features, behaviors, or properties your product has that the alternatives do not. Be ruthlessly specific. "Easier to use" is not a capability. "Runs in under 30 seconds without setup" is.

For each capability, ask: would a competitor have to make a different product to copy this? If yes, it is a real differentiator. If no, cut it.

### Step 3: Map capabilities to customer value

For each differentiator, state the concrete customer value it creates. Use this format:

| Capability | Customer Value |
|---|---|
| [specific product capability] | [measurable or tangible outcome for the customer] |

Aim for 3-5 rows. More than 5 means you have not prioritized.

### Step 4: Define the target customer segment

Ries and Trout: you cannot be everything to everyone. A narrow target is a strength, not a weakness. Define the segment by:
- Role or job title
- Company size or context (if B2B)
- Specific situation or trigger that makes them need this product
- What they are trying to accomplish (the job, not the persona)

If you have multiple segments, rank them. Write the positioning doc for the primary segment only.

### Step 5: Write the positioning statement

Use this template exactly:

> For [target customer] who [specific situation or need], [your product] is the [category] that [primary differentiator and value]. Unlike [primary alternative], [your product] [key point of difference].

Rules:
- One sentence per blank. No run-ons.
- The category must be recognizable - do not invent one unless you are deliberately creating a new market.
- The differentiator must be singular, not a list.

### Step 6: Define owned attributes and proof points

Pick 2-3 attributes your brand should own in the customer's mind. For each:

```
Attribute: [single phrase, e.g. "fastest time to first result"]
Proof points:
- [stat or fact]
- [customer quote or case study result]
- [product behavior or benchmark]
```

## Anti-Patterns

**1. Positioning against the market leader by name**
Bad: "Unlike [Market Leader], we actually have good customer support."
Good: "Unlike tools built for enterprise, [your product] is configured in a single afternoon - no implementation team required."
Naming the leader reinforces their position. The challenger wins by creating a new frame, not attacking head-on.

**2. Feature list as positioning**
Bad: "We have AI, integrations, real-time collaboration, and an API."
Good: "The only [category] built for [specific workflow] - so [target customer] stops switching between 4 tools."
Features are evidence. They are not the position.

**3. Positioning to everyone**
Bad: "Works great for teams of any size, in any industry."
Good: "Built for [specific role] at [specific company stage or type]."
Broad positioning is invisible positioning.

**4. Skipping the competitive alternatives step**
Bad: Positioning statement written without naming what the customer would actually use otherwise.
Good: Alternatives identified first - every claim is implicitly a claim against those alternatives.

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Competitive alternatives named as actual customer behaviors, not just product competitors
- [ ] Differentiators are specific and would require a competitor to build a different product to replicate
- [ ] Each capability maps to a concrete customer value
- [ ] Target segment is narrow enough to be meaningful - one primary segment
- [ ] Positioning statement uses the exact template format
- [ ] Category is recognizable, not invented jargon
- [ ] Each owned attribute has at least 2 proof points
- [ ] No competitor named directly in the positioning statement