create-product-positioning

name

create-product-positioning

description

SaaS/AI product positioning generator using Alexander Estner's 3-Step Positioning Framework. Given information about a product (what it does, target audience, market maturity, competitors), this skill produces multiple positioning options with primary anchors, secondary differentiators, and clear positioning statements. Use this skill whenever the user mentions positioning, go-to-market strategy, GTM, product messaging, competitive positioning, market positioning, value proposition, how to describe their product, or needs help articulating what their SaaS/AI product is. Also trigger when users ask about differentiating their product, choosing a positioning angle, or writing a positioning statement.

SaaS Positioning Generator

This skill helps founders and product marketers create strong positioning for their SaaS or AI product using Alexander Estner's 3-Step Positioning Framework (based on work with 30+ early-stage founders, influenced by April Dunford, Fletch PMM, and Rob Walling).

Core Principle

Positioning is having something to test. Bad positioning beats no positioning every time. The goal is to produce clear, testable positioning options — not to find the "perfect" answer on the first try.

Strong positioning means a buyer can understand what you are in 30 seconds. If they can't mentally classify you, they can't buy you.

How This Skill Works

When the user provides product information, walk them through the framework and produce positioning options. The process has three steps:

1. Gather product context (interview the user)
2. Apply the 3-Step Framework (choose primary anchor, add secondary anchor, combine)
3. Output multiple positioning options as a structured deliverable

Step 1: Gather Product Context

Before generating positioning, you need to understand the product. Ask the user for (or extract from what they've already shared):

• What the product does (core functionality)
• Target ICP — Who is the ideal customer? Who faces the challenge this product solves?
• Use case / Job-to-be-done — What do they want to do/achieve?
• Core problem — Why is this difficult? What strategic or operational pain exists?
• Alternative solutions / Status quo — How do they currently solve it? (spreadsheets, manual work, competitor tools, nothing)
• Key limitations of the status quo — Why doesn't their current approach work well? (list up to 3)
• Market maturity signals — Do buyers Google a software category? Is there a G2/Capterra category? Is there a dominant leader?
• Key differentiators — What's uniquely true about this product vs. alternatives?
• Competitive landscape — Who are the direct competitors or dominant players?

If the user provides partial information, work with what you have and make reasonable inferences. Flag any assumptions you make.

Step 2: Apply the 3-Step Positioning Framework

Read references/framework.md for the complete framework details including:

• The 4 Primary Anchor types and how to choose between them
• The Decision Tree for selecting the right Primary Anchor
• The Specificity Guide for finding the right level of detail
• The 6 Secondary Anchor (differentiator) types
• The combination formula and 16 real-world examples

After reading the reference, apply the framework as follows:

2a. Determine the Primary Anchor

Use the Decision Tree (detailed in references/framework.md) to recommend 2-3 primary anchors that fit. The four types are:

Anchor Type	Format	Best When
Activity Positioning	"We help you do X"	Pre-market, no clear category, people use spreadsheets/Slack/Notion
Use Case Positioning	"We help you do X without Y"	Emerging market, fragmented categories, broken workflows
Product Category Positioning	"We are a X"	Established market, buyers Google categories, compare on G2
Competitive Alternative Positioning	"We are a [Leader] alternative"	Mature market, dominant leader, you have a strong wedge

Key rule: Choose based on how buyers think today, not how you want them to think.

2b. Choose the Right Specificity Level

For each anchor, check the specificity:

• Too vague = confusing (e.g., "Managing customers")
• Too specific = too niche (e.g., "Logging deal stage changes after sales calls")
• Right level = clear and defensible (e.g., "Track all your customer infos in one database")

2c. Add Secondary Anchors (max 2)

Secondary anchors differentiate you within the chosen primary anchor. Choose from:

Angle	What It Means	Example Sound
Niche Down	Focus on a specific ICP	"Built for B2B SaaS founders"
Low-Cost Player	Compete on affordability	"Without enterprise pricing"
Premium Player	Compete on performance & depth	"The most advanced way to..."
Unique Attribute	A specific feature/fact only true for you	"GDPR-compliant alternative to X"
Lite Version	Simpler alternative to complex tools	"A lightweight way to..."
Mix	Combine 2 angles strategically	"Built for startups, without complexity"

2d. Combine into Positioning Statements

Formula: Strong positioning = Primary Anchor + Secondary Angle

Step 3: Produce the Output

Generate a structured markdown document with the following sections:

# Positioning Options for [Product Name]

## Market Context
- ICP: [who]
- Job-to-be-done: [what they want to achieve]
- Core Problem: [why it's hard]
- Status Quo: [how they solve it today]
- Status Quo Limitations: [why current approach fails]
- Market Maturity: [Pre-market / Emerging / Established / Mature]

## Recommended Primary Anchor
[Explain which anchor type fits best and why, referencing the decision tree]

## Positioning Options

### Option 1: [Name]
- **Primary Anchor**: [Type] — "[statement]"
- **Secondary Angle**: [Type] — "[detail]"
- **Full Positioning Statement**: "[combined statement]"
- **Internal version**: "For [ICP] who [job-to-be-done], [Product] is a [primary anchor] that [secondary angle], unlike [status quo/competitor] which [limitation]."
- **Market-facing version**: "[Clear, concise external statement]"
- **Why this works**: [Reasoning]

### Option 2: [Name]
[Same structure]

### Option 3: [Name]
[Same structure]

## Positioning Health Check
For each option, score (Yes/No):
- [ ] Can a buyer understand what you are in under 30 seconds?
- [ ] Does it clearly name who this is for?
- [ ] Does it articulate the job-to-be-done or category?
- [ ] Is there a clear differentiator?
- [ ] Does it match how buyers actually search/think today?
- [ ] Is the specificity level right (not too vague, not too niche)?

## Recommendation
[Which option to test first and why]

Always generate at least 3 distinct positioning options using different primary anchor / secondary angle combinations. Explain the trade-offs between them so the user can make an informed choice about what to test.

Important Reminders

• Positioning creates the data — encourage the user to pick one and test it rather than deliberating endlessly
• The primary anchor should match how buyers think today, not how the founder wishes they thought
• Maximum 2 secondary differentiators per positioning option
• Every option should pass the "30-second clarity test" — if you can't explain it quickly, simplify it
• Include both an internal positioning statement (detailed, for the team) and a market-facing statement (concise, for the website/pitch)