Module 20 — Positioning
Frameworks: Dunford Obviously Awesome · Moore crossing-the-chasm template · Jobs-to-be-done lens
Goal: Define the brand's competitive frame — who it's for, what category it competes in, what it does uniquely, and why that matters to the target client. Output is the raw material for a positioning statement the brand can act on.
Raw
Who is the target client? (role, company type, situation)
What category does the brand compete in? (how clients currently solve this problem)
What makes the brand different from alternatives in that category?
What does the target client care about most? (the value they get that others can't match)
Competitive alternatives named by the founder (include "do nothing" / "hire in-house")
Phrases or metaphors the founder uses naturally to describe what they do
Synthesis
Positioning statement draft (Dunford template)
For [target client] who [situation / JTBD], [brand name] is the [category] that [unique value]. Unlike [alternatives], we [key differentiator].
Alternative framings (vary the category or the differentiator)
White-space hypothesis (what no competitor is claiming that this brand could own)