Episode description
When Founders build a product, they are quite literally creating a new thing in the world. Part of that creative process is – as strange as it may sound – defining what the product actually is. What does it do? Who is it for? What can it be used for? How should it be thought about? This process is often called product positioning, and there are only a few voices in the world who talk about it as astutely and interestingly as April Dunford. In this episode, we delve into the dos and don’ts of product positioning, and how Founders can learn to think about it at the right time, namely, right now. Expect to learn:
- What are the most important questions to ask yourself when positioning your product?
- What examples are there of successful product positioning?
- What is product positioning not? How does it differ from branding?
- How should Founders think about their competition? What are “ghost” competitors?
- How do you identify the need for repositioning?
00:25: Introduction
01:20 How did April get into product positioning?
03:55 What is April’s product positioning methodology?
08:15 What are “ghost competitors"?
11:55 The importance of identifying competitors’ positioning
14:15 Why product positioning is important
16:15 Branding vs. product positioning
19:56 First steps in product positioning
22:40 Arm and Hammer baking soda example
25:17 Differences in product positioning in B2C and B2B
29:19 Pitfalls in product positioning
33:25 Who owns product positioning in a company?
37:20 How should an early-stage startup identify the need to reposition their product?
40:25 Final tips
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