wayland-positioning-sprint

name	wayland-positioning-sprint
description	Positioning sprint that ends in a defensible position statement and a per-audience messaging matrix. Infers the competitive set, maps competitors, audits the brand against that map, recommends a position (what you stand for, against, and who it is not for), then translates it into messaging per audience. Use when the user wants a structured, multi-step process to define or sharpen market positioning and produce messaging tailored to each audience segment. Do NOT use for a single tagline tweak or one-line positioning question that an atomic skill can answer without running the full sprint.
license	Apache-2.0
type	workflow
skills	market-competitors market-brand market-audit market-copy
metadata	{"author":"wayland","version":"1.0.0","tags":"marketing positioning messaging competitors brand step-by-step","category":"marketing","depends":"market-competitors market-brand market-audit market-copy"}

Positioning Sprint

Estimated time: 45-60 minutes

This workflow runs a positioning sprint from competitor map through brand audit to a recommended position and a per-audience messaging matrix. By the end the user has a defensible position statement and language tuned to each audience. It is interactive across three review checkpoints.

Steps

Step 1: Kickoff and Gather the Brief (uses: market-competitors)

Ask the user for the offer, the current positioning (or "we don't have one"), and the top 3 competitors (or "we don't know who"). Do not proceed without a clear offer. It is fine if positioning or competitors are unknown; later steps infer them.

• Input: user-supplied offer, current positioning, top competitors
• Output: positioning brief
• Key focus: a clear offer; missing positioning or comps is acceptable input

Step 2: Infer the Competitive Set (uses: market-competitors)

From the brief, infer the competitive set: direct, adjacent, and status-quo alternatives. State it plus your reasoning and ask the user to add any competitors you missed.

• Input: positioning brief
• Output: confirmed competitive set
• Key focus: include status-quo alternatives, not only direct competitors

Step 3: Build the Competitor Map (uses: market-competitors)

From the brief and competitive set, build the competitor map: positioning, target customer, and claim hierarchy per competitor. Show the map to the user.

• Input: positioning brief, competitive set
• Output: competitor map
• Key focus: how each competitor positions and who they target

Step 4: Review the Competitor Map (uses: market-competitors)

Present the competitor map and ask whether to refine it or proceed to the brand audit. If refining, re-run the map step with the user's feedback (at most two passes) before continuing.

• Input: competitor map; optional refinement feedback
• Output: confirmed or refined map, decision to proceed
• Key focus: agree the map before auditing against it

Step 5: Brand Audit Against the Map (uses: market-brand)

Audit the user's brand against the competitor map: where the current positioning overlaps competitors, where it is undifferentiated, and where it has a credible claim no competitor owns. Show the audit to the user.

• Input: positioning brief, competitor map
• Output: brand audit relative to the competitive field
• Key focus: find the white space the brand can credibly own

Step 6: Recommend the Position (uses: market-audit)

From the brief, map, and brand audit, recommend the position: what the brand stands for, what it stands against, and who it is explicitly NOT for. Make it defensible. Show the recommendation to the user.

• Input: positioning brief, competitor map, brand audit
• Output: recommended position statement
• Key focus: a sharp, defensible position with a clear "not for whom"

Step 7: Review the Position (uses: market-audit)

Present the recommended position and ask whether to refine it or proceed to the messaging matrix. If refining, re-run the recommendation with the user's feedback (at most three passes) before continuing.

• Input: recommended position; optional refinement feedback
• Output: confirmed or refined position, decision to proceed
• Key focus: lock the position before translating it into messaging

Step 8: Build the Messaging Matrix (uses: market-copy)

From the confirmed position and the brief, build the per-audience messaging matrix: the same underlying position expressed in the language of each audience segment. Show the matrix to the user.

• Input: confirmed position, positioning brief
• Output: per-audience messaging matrix
• Key focus: one position, segment-specific language, no positioning drift

Step 9: Final Review and Ship (uses: market-copy)

Present the messaging matrix. Ask the user to ship the positioning deliverable or refine the matrix. If refining, re-run with their feedback (at most two passes), then assemble the final Positioning Sprint deliverable with sections for the competitive set, competitor map, brand audit, recommended position, and messaging matrix.

• Input: messaging matrix; optional refinement feedback
• Output: final Positioning Sprint deliverable
• Key focus: ship a defensible position plus ready-to-use per-audience messaging