Launch Positioning Builder
Research the competitive landscape and produce a complete positioning document — category definition, differentiation claims, value props, proof points, and messaging hierarchy. Output is directly usable in website copy, sales decks, and investor materials.
Built for: First PMM hire at a seed/Series A startup, or a founder wearing the product marketing hat. The output should be opinionated, not a generic template.
When to Use
- "Help me position [product] against [competitors]"
- "We need a positioning doc before our launch"
- "How should we differentiate from [competitor]?"
- "Rewrite our positioning — it's too generic"
- "What category should we create or own?"
Phase 0: Intake
- Product name + URL — What are you positioning?
- One-sentence pitch — How do you describe what you do today?
- Top 2-3 competitors — Names + URLs. Who does your buyer compare you to?
- ICP — Title, company type, stage (e.g., "Head of Growth at Series A B2B SaaS")
- Key differentiators — What do you believe makes you different? (even if not yet articulated)
- Existing proof points — Customer wins, metrics, logos, quotes (anything you have)
- Positioning trigger — Why now? (new launch, competitive pressure, rebrand, entering new segment)
Phase 1: Competitive Landscape Research
1A: Competitor Website Analysis
For each competitor, research and extract:
Search: "[competitor name]" site:[competitor-url]
Search: "[competitor name]" positioning OR "we help" OR "the only"
Fetch: competitor homepage, pricing page, about page
Extract from each competitor:
- Tagline / hero copy — their primary claim
- Category language — what category do they put themselves in?
- Key differentiators — what do they emphasize?
- Proof points — customer logos, metrics, case studies
- Pricing model — free trial, freemium, enterprise, usage-based
- Target audience language — who do they say they serve?
1B: Review Mining (if available)
If competitors have G2/Capterra reviews, scan for:
- What customers praise (their perceived strengths)
- What customers complain about (your potential wedge)
- How customers describe the category
1C: Ad Copy Analysis (optional)
Search for competitor ad copy:
Search: "[competitor name]" advertisement OR "sponsored"
Ad copy reveals what competitors believe converts — their sharpest positioning.
Phase 2: Positioning Framework
Build the positioning doc using April Dunford's framework adapted for early-stage:
2A: Category Definition
| Approach | When to Use | Example |
|---|
| Existing category | You compete head-to-head | "CRM for startups" |
| Subcategory | You serve a niche better | "AI-native sales engagement" |
| New category | You do something genuinely different | "Revenue orchestration platform" |
Decision criteria:
- If your ICP already searches for the category → use existing or subcategory
- If you'd spend 50% of sales calls explaining the category → don't create a new one
- If no existing category captures what you do → create one, but keep it intuitive
2B: Competitive Alternatives
What would your customer do if you didn't exist?
- Direct competitors (same category)
- Adjacent tools (partial overlap)
- Manual process (spreadsheets, hiring, doing nothing)
2C: Unique Attributes → Value Props
Map each differentiator to a customer value:
| Unique Attribute | Value to Customer | Proof Point |
|---|
| [What you have] | [Why they care] | [Evidence] |
| [What you have] | [Why they care] | [Evidence] |
2D: Messaging Hierarchy
| Level | Message | Use Where |
|---|
| Positioning statement | For [ICP] who [pain], [Product] is the [category] that [key differentiator]. Unlike [alternative], we [unique value]. | Internal alignment, PR |
| Primary headline | [Outcome-driven claim] | Homepage hero, ads |
| Supporting messages (3) | [Value prop 1], [Value prop 2], [Value prop 3] | Feature sections, sales deck |
| Proof line | [Metric or customer quote] | Below the fold, case studies |
Phase 3: Competitive Positioning Map
Create a 2x2 positioning matrix:
[Dimension A: e.g., Ease of Use]
High
|
[You] | [Competitor A]
|
──────────────────┼──────────────────
|
[Competitor C] | [Competitor B]
|
Low
Low ──────────────────────── High
[Dimension B: e.g., Enterprise-readiness]
Choose dimensions where you win on at least one axis. Avoid dimensions where you lose on both.
Phase 4: Output Format
# Positioning Document — [Product Name]
Created: [DATE] | Trigger: [launch/rebrand/competitive shift]
---
## Positioning Statement
For [ICP] who [pain point],
[Product] is the [category]
that [key differentiator].
Unlike [primary alternative],
we [unique value that matters to ICP].
---
## Category
**Category:** [name]
**Approach:** [Existing / Subcategory / New]
**Rationale:** [1-2 sentences on why this framing]
---
## Competitive Landscape
### Direct Competitors
| Competitor | Positioning | Strength | Weakness (your wedge) |
|-----------|-------------|----------|----------------------|
| [Name] | "[Their tagline]" | [What they do well] | [Where they fall short] |
### Alternative Solutions
- [Manual process / spreadsheet / hiring]
- [Adjacent tool category]
---
## Value Propositions
### Primary: [Headline claim]
[2-sentence explanation + proof point]
### Secondary A: [Value prop]
[2-sentence explanation + proof point]
### Secondary B: [Value prop]
[2-sentence explanation + proof point]
---
## Proof Points Library
### With Metrics
- "[Customer quote with number]" — [Source]
- [Metric]: [claim] — [evidence]
### Logos & Social Proof
- [Customer logos to feature]
- [Review platform ratings]
---
## Messaging by Audience
### [Persona 1: e.g., Founder/CEO]
- **Pain:** [What keeps them up at night]
- **Hook:** "[Message that resonates]"
- **Proof:** [Evidence they'd trust]
### [Persona 2: e.g., Head of Growth]
- **Pain:** ...
- **Hook:** ...
- **Proof:** ...
---
## Positioning Map
[2x2 matrix with chosen dimensions]
---
## Where to Deploy This Positioning
| Asset | Key Message | Priority |
|-------|------------|----------|
| Homepage hero | [Primary headline] | P0 — update now |
| Sales deck slide 2-3 | [Positioning statement] | P0 |
| LinkedIn company tagline | [One-liner] | P1 |
| Cold email opening line | [Pain hook] | P1 |
| G2 profile description | [Category + differentiator] | P2 |
---
## What We're NOT Saying
(Guardrails to keep messaging consistent)
- We don't claim to be [X] — that's [competitor]'s territory
- We don't target [segment] — outside our ICP
- We avoid the word "[buzzword]" — overused, means nothing
Save to clients/<client-name>/product-marketing/positioning-[YYYY-MM-DD].md.
Cost
| Component | Cost |
|---|
| Web research (competitor sites) | Free |
| Review mining (if using review-scraper) | ~$0.50-1.00 |
| All analysis and positioning | Free (LLM reasoning) |
| Total | Free — $1 |
Tools Required
- web_search — for competitor research
- fetch_webpage — for analyzing competitor sites
- Optional:
review-scraper for review-based insights
Trigger Phrases
- "Build a positioning doc for [product]"
- "How should we position against [competitor]?"
- "We need positioning before our launch"
- "Run the positioning builder for [client]"
Claude
ChatGPT
OpenClaw