How you position your product can help you connect with the people who most need it, unlocking rapid growth for your company. But first, you need a solid foundation. Today, Christian and Meghan discuss what product leaders get right vs. wrong when positioning their products. Led by Meghan’s insights in product marketing, we’ll also walk through a process any team can use to find a position that will give you a cutting edge while letting you stay true to who you are. 

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Takeaways

• To create a positioning strategy, you need: 
  • A foundational statement that is the truth of your product 
  • Benefit pillars that focus on your differentiators 
  • A description of your product features as proof 
• Positioning work is internal, but it should inform the external. 
• Test your positioning’s effectiveness by asking if it’s simple, meaningful, repeatable, and relevant.

Things To Listen For

• [1:30] Friday recordings, turning 40, and why smart people have worse memories
• [2:30] Icebreaker: if you could debate anyone, real or not, who would it be?
• [3:00] Meghan’s hot take: “90% of cars are so much uglier than they have to be”
• [4:00] Christian’s defense of minivan designs and the 2014 Toyota Sienna
• [9:30] Today’s topic: how we shape perceptions of our product with positioning
• [10:00] Positioning says who you are and why you matter
• [11:00] “Positioning at its core is your north star; it should set the course”
• [12:00] How appreciation for positioning in product has evolved over time
• [12:30] Increasingly, product marketers and product designers are working together to bring positioning to life (see our episode on Pinterest)
• [13:30] Can you tell if a product is positioned well from an outside perspective?
• [14:30] Your positioning works if it’s simple, meaningful, repeatable, and relevant
• [15:00] Positioning statements must be factual and true to who you are
• [16:30] Positioning explains why your designers are designing, and for whom
• [18:00] How to start applying your positioning to a product roadmap
• [20:00] What to do about positioning when you’re an in-house product marketer
• [24:00] Why to revisit positioning as your company grows and hires new leaders
• [25:30] Consider changing your positioning when something foundational shifts
• [28:00] Previewing our upcoming series, Unlock Product Marketing