Product Positioning

Define how your product wins in the market.

What This Skill Does

Creates compelling product positioning based on market insights, competitive landscape, and user needs. Defines value proposition, differentiation strategy, target market, and positioning statements that guide all product and marketing decisions.

When to Use

Activate this skill when:

• User asks about product positioning or differentiation
• Phrases like "how do we position", "what makes us different", "value proposition"
• Defining target market or customer segments
• Creating messaging for launches or campaigns
• User says "define our positioning" or "positioning statement"

How It Works

The positioning process ensures clear, compelling market positioning:

1. Analyze context - Review market, competitive, and user research
2. Identify differentiation - Find unique value and competitive advantages
3. Define target market - Specify ideal customer profile
4. Craft positioning statement - Create clear, memorable positioning
5. Develop messaging - Build supporting messaging hierarchy
6. Validate - Ensure positioning is credible and defensible

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
product_name	string	Yes	Name of the product
category	string	Yes	Product category or market segment
stage	string	No	new (0-1), pivot (repositioning), refine (optimization)

Output Structure

The skill generates positioning outputs:

1. Positioning document (context/positioning.md) - Complete positioning strategy
2. Messaging guide - Key messages for different audiences

Positioning Document Format

# Product Positioning: [Product Name]

## Positioning Statement
For [target customer]
Who [statement of need/opportunity],
[Product Name] is a [product category]
That [key benefit/differentiator].
Unlike [primary competitive alternative],
We [statement of primary differentiation].

## Target Market
### Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
- **Company Size**: [X-Y employees]
- **Industry**: [Specific industries]
- **Role**: [Decision maker title]
- **Geography**: [Target regions]
- **Tech Stack**: [Key technologies]

### Customer Segments
| Segment | Description | Priority |
|:--------|:-------------|:---------|
| Segment A | Description | P0 |
| Segment B | Description | P1 |

## Value Proposition
### Primary Value
[Core value delivered - the "why us" in one sentence]

### Value Ladder
| Level | Value | Proof |
|:------|:------|:------|
| Functional | [What it does] | [Feature/capability] |
| Economic | [ROI/benefit] | [Metric/outcome] |
| Emotional | [How it feels] | [User sentiment] |

## Differentiation Strategy
### Competitive Advantages
| Advantage | Description | Sustainability |
|:----------|:-------------|:---------------|
| Advantage 1 | What makes us different | [Moat: tech/scale/network] |
| Advantage 2 | What makes us different | [Moat] |

### Differentiation vs Competitors
| Competitor | Their Positioning | Our Differentiation |
|:-----------|:------------------|:--------------------|
| Competitor A | [Their positioning] | [How we're different] |
| Competitor B | [Their positioning] | [How we're different] |

## Key Messages
### Tagline
[Short, memorable phrase - 5-7 words]

### Elevator Pitch
[30-second pitch - 75 words]

### Messages by Audience
| Audience | Key Message | Supporting Points |
|:---------|:------------|:------------------|
| End Users | [Primary user benefit] | [3 supporting points] |
| Buyers | [Business value] | [3 supporting points] |
| Partners | [Partnership value] | [3 supporting points] |

## Proof Points
### Social Proof
- Customer logos/testimonials
- Case studies
- Ratings/reviews

### Technical Proof
- Performance metrics
- Security certifications
- Integration ecosystem

### Business Proof
- Growth metrics
- Retention rates
- ROI statistics

Positioning Frameworks

Triangle Positioning

Choose one point to lead, avoid trying to be all three:

      Cheaper
        /\
       /  \
      /    \
Better /      \ Faster

Value Proposition Canvas

Customer Profile	Value Proposition
Jobs-to-be-done	Products & Services
What users are trying to accomplish	What we offer
Pains	Pain Relievers
Frustrations, obstacles	How we eliminate pain
Gains	Gain Creators
Desired outcomes	How we create value

Quality Standards

Before delivering, the positioning should:

• Be clear and specific (not "for everyone")
• Highlight true differentiation, not table stakes
• Be credible and defensible
• Resonate with target customer
• Guide product and marketing decisions
• Include proof points

Collaboration Modes

Mode	How It Works
autopilot	Generates complete positioning from research data
copilot	Drafts positioning, validates key points with you
manual	Provides positioning frameworks, you complete

Context Integration

Reads:

• context/market-analysis.json - Market trends and size
• context/competitive-analysis.json - Competitive landscape
• context/user-research.json - User needs and personas

Writes:

• context/positioning.md - Complete positioning document

Read By:

• roadmap-planning - Uses positioning for strategic alignment
• prioritization - References positioning for prioritization decisions
• prd-gen - Incorporates positioning into requirements

Example Usage

User: "Define our positioning for the project management tool"
→ Generates complete positioning document

User: "How do we differentiate from Asana and Monday?"
→ Creates competitive positioning analysis

User: "What's our value proposition for small businesses?"
→ Develops segment-specific value proposition

Best Practices

1. Be specific - "For developers" not "for everyone"
2. Focus on one thing - Lead with one clear differentiator
3. Speak customer language - Use their words, not yours
4. Make it credible - Back claims with proof
5. Keep it simple - Complex positioning fails in the market