Because these relationships flow from one another, the order in which you define the components is very important. I’ve seen teams start with defining key features, without looking at competitive alternatives, and the resulting positioning doesn’t connect with how customers really evaluate a solution. Similarly, I’ve seen teams start with value or a segmentation and end up with positioning that doesn’t click with customers. In the work I’ve done with startups, I’ve determined that it’s critical to start with understanding what the customer sees as a competitive alternative, and then working
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