| name | analyze-product-positioning |
| description | Analyzes the current positioning of a SaaS/AI product by visiting its website. Takes a URL as input, browses the site (especially the hero section and homepage), and produces a structured positioning analysis document describing how the product is currently positioned — what primary anchor they use, what secondary differentiators they communicate, who their ICP is, and how clear their positioning is. Use this skill when the user provides a website URL and wants to understand or audit the positioning of a product, or when they want to reverse-engineer how a competitor positions themselves. Triggers: analyze positioning, audit positioning, review website positioning, how is this product positioned, what positioning does this site use, competitor positioning analysis, homepage analysis, hero section analysis, teardown. |
Analyze Product Positioning
This skill takes a website URL, visits the site using browser tools, and produces a structured document describing how the product is currently positioned. It uses Alexander Estner's 3-Step Positioning Framework as the analytical lens.
This is NOT about proposing new positioning. It's about reverse-engineering and documenting the positioning that already exists on the website.
Process
Step 1: Visit and Analyze the Website
Use browser tools (navigate, screenshot, read_page, get_page_text) to thoroughly examine the website. Capture and analyze in this order:
1a. Hero Section (most important)
Identify the visually dominant messaging above the fold. Do not rely solely on HTML tags (like H1); companies often use H2 or other tags for the visual hero. Extract:
- The visually dominant headline (largest font size, above the fold)
- The subheadline or supporting text (visually supporting the main headline)
- The CTA button text
- Any social proof immediately visible (logos, stats, badges)
- The overall visual framing (what does the design communicate?)
Pro-tip: Use agent-browser eval or getBoundingClientRect to verify which elements are at the top of the viewport (y < 400).
1b. Rest of the Homepage
Scroll through the full homepage. Look for:
- How they describe the product in their own words
- Feature sections and how they're framed
- Who they say the product is for (ICP signals)
- Customer logos, testimonials, case studies
- Competitor comparisons or "vs" content
- Pricing signals (free trial, enterprise, etc.)
- Category language they use (do they name a software category?)
1c. Key Supporting Pages (if accessible)
Quickly check these pages if they exist:
- Pricing page — reveals market positioning (low-cost vs premium vs enterprise)
- About page — often reveals intended positioning and ICP
- "Use cases" or "Solutions" page — reveals job-to-be-done framing
- "Why us" or comparison pages — reveals competitive positioning
Step 2: Apply the Framework
Read references/framework.md for the complete positioning framework.
Using what you observed on the website, determine:
Primary Anchor — Which of the 4 types does the website use?
| Anchor Type | Signal on Website |
|---|
| Activity Positioning ("We help you do X") | Hero focuses on a task/activity, no category name mentioned, emphasizes the manual pain |
| Use Case Positioning ("We help you do X without Y") | Hero describes a job-to-be-done with friction removed, problem-oriented language |
| Product Category Positioning ("We are a X") | Hero names a recognized software category, G2/Capterra badges visible, comparison language |
| Competitive Alternative Positioning ("We are a [Leader] alternative") | Hero or prominent section names a competitor directly, "switch from X" language, comparison tables |
Secondary Anchor(s) — Which differentiators does the website communicate?
| Angle | Signal on Website |
|---|
| Niche Down | ICP explicitly named in hero or subheadline ("for [specific audience]") |
| Low-Cost Player | Pricing prominently featured, "affordable" / "no enterprise pricing" language |
| Premium Player | Premium design, "most advanced" / "enterprise-grade" language, high-touch support highlighted |
| Unique Attribute | A specific feature or fact called out as unique ("only tool with...", "first to...") |
| Lite Version | "Simple" / "lightweight" / "easy" language, comparison to complex alternatives |
Specificity Level — Is it too vague, too niche, or right?
Clarity — Can a first-time visitor understand what this product is in 30 seconds?
Step 3: Produce the Output
Generate a structured markdown document. Save it to the workspace folder.
Use this template:
# Positioning Analysis: [Product Name]
**Website:** [URL]
**Analysis date:** [date]
## Hero Section
**Headline:** "[exact headline text]"
**Subheadline:** "[exact subheadline text]"
**CTA:** "[button text]"
**Social proof:** [what's visible above the fold]
### What the Hero Communicates
[2-3 sentences interpreting what the hero section tells a first-time visitor about the product]
## Positioning Breakdown
### Primary Anchor: [Type]
**What they say:** "[key phrase from the website]"
**Framework classification:** [Activity / Use Case / Product Category / Competitive Alternative]
**Why this classification:** [explain based on the signals you observed]
### Secondary Anchor(s): [Type(s)]
**Differentiator 1:** [angle] — "[supporting evidence from the site]"
**Differentiator 2:** [angle, if present] — "[supporting evidence from the site]"
### Implied ICP
**Who this appears to be for:** [based on language, social proof, pricing, use cases mentioned]
**Evidence:** [specific signals — customer logos, testimonials, language choices, pricing tiers]
### Implied Job-to-be-Done
**What the buyer wants to achieve:** [extracted from messaging]
**How the product frames the problem:** [the pain or status quo they reference]
### Competitive Frame
**Who/what they position against:** [named competitors, or implied status quo]
**How they differentiate:** [the "why us" message]
## Positioning Health Check
| Criteria | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clear in under 30 seconds? | [Yes/No] | [brief note] |
| Names who it's for? | [Yes/No] | [brief note] |
| Articulates job or category? | [Yes/No] | [brief note] |
| Clear differentiator? | [Yes/No] | [brief note] |
| Matches how buyers think? | [Yes/No] | [brief note] |
| Right specificity level? | [Yes/No] | [brief note] |
**Overall score:** [X/6]
## Summary
### Positioning Statement (reconstructed)
"[Product Name] is a [primary anchor] that [secondary angle], for [ICP] who [job-to-be-done]."
### Strengths
[What the positioning does well — be specific, reference what you saw]
### Weaknesses
[Where the positioning falls short — vague messaging, unclear ICP, missing differentiator, etc.]
### Key Observations
[Any notable patterns, contradictions, or interesting choices you noticed on the site]
Important Guidelines
- Describe, don't prescribe. This skill documents what IS on the website. It does not suggest new positioning. (If the user wants that, point them to the
saas-positioning skill.)
- Quote the actual website copy. Use exact headlines, subheadlines, and phrases in quotation marks. This makes the analysis concrete and verifiable.
- The hero section is the primary evidence. Everything above the fold (the first ~800px of the page) is the most deliberate positioning choice a company makes. Weight visual prominence over technical tag semantics.
- Be honest in the health check. If the positioning is vague, say so. If it's strong, say why.
- Look for contradictions. Sometimes the hero says one thing but the rest of the page says another — that's a positioning signal worth noting.
- Screenshot the hero. Always take and save a screenshot of the hero section so the user can see what you analyzed.
