Obviously Awesome
April Dunford · 2019
Editorial rating
- Evidence
- 7/10
- Actionability
- 10/10
- Originality
- 8/10
The thesis
Positioning isn't a tagline or marketing exercise - it's defining the context in which your product makes the most sense. Get this wrong and no amount of marketing spend will save you. Get it right and customers immediately understand your value without explanation.
Who this is for
Startup founders struggling to explain what they do, product marketers frustrated that prospects don't "get it," and anyone launching a product into a crowded market where differentiation feels impossible.
My favorite quote
Positioning defines how your product is the best in the world at providing something that a well-defined set of customers cares a lot about.
Why it matters
This elevates positioning from vague brand exercise to strategic imperative - you're not trying to be good for everyone, you're trying to be the best for someone specific.
Do this
Write down your product's unique capability that competitors can't match, then identify the specific type of customer who desperately needs exactly that.
Start here
Start with competitive alternatives, not your product: Most positioning exercises begin by defining what you are. Dunford argues you should start by defining what customers would use if you didn't exist. Only then can you articulate your unique value - because value is always relative to alternatives.
Critical summary
Dunford, a tech executive with 16 product launches under her belt, finally cracks the code on positioning that Al Ries and Jack Trout's classic book left vague. Her 10-step methodology transforms positioning from philosophical concept to actionable process that cross-functional teams can execute in a workshop setting.
The framework's core insight is that positioning is about context-setting. The same product positioned differently - database vs. CRM, car vs. truck, snack vs. meal replacement - attracts completely different customers and commands different prices. Most startups fail not because their product is bad, but because they've put it in the wrong context.
What it gets right
- Step-by-step process instead of abstract principles
- Emphasis on team workshops over marketing-driven positioning statements
- Recognition that best-fit customers should drive positioning, not total addressable market
What it misses
- Heavily focused on B2B tech - principles apply broadly, but examples don't
- Doesn't adequately address repositioning existing products vs. launching new ones
- Light on measurement - how do you know if your positioning is working?
- Assumes you have happy customers to interview; less useful for pre-product-market fit startups
Evidence is primarily Dunford's consulting experience and case studies rather than academic research, but the framework's logic is tight and the examples are compelling.
Key concepts
Competitive Alternatives
What would customers use if your product didn't exist? This could be a direct competitor, a manual process, or doing nothing.
Unique Attributes
What do you have that alternatives don't? These must be provable, not subjective claims.
Value (and Proof)
What do your unique attributes enable customers to do? Value is the outcome of attributes, not the attributes themselves.
Best-Fit Customers
Who cares most about the value only you deliver? These aren't all possible customers - they're the customers who love you.
Market Category
The context you set for customers to understand what you are and why it matters to them.
Trends
Optional tailwinds that make your value more urgent or relevant right now.
Core insights
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Context determines perception
The same product sells for $20 as a household item and $200 as a professional tool. Positioning is choosing your context.
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Position for your best customers, not your biggest market
Trying to appeal to everyone means resonating with no one. Start narrow, expand later.
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Don't lead with what you are - lead with why customers care
Customers don't buy features. They buy solutions to problems they already have.
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Positioning is a team sport
Marketing can't own positioning alone. Sales, product, and CS all need to be in the room for positioning to stick.
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Your competition isn't always a competitor
Sometimes customers would solve the problem manually or simply live with it. Position against the real alternative.
Implementation steps
Today
- List your 5 happiest customers - what do they have in common?
- Write down what customers would do if your product didn't exist (actual alternatives, not competitor names)
This week
- Interview 3 best-fit customers: Why did they choose you? What would they have done otherwise?
- Map your unique attributes against each competitive alternative
This month
- Gather cross-functional team for a positioning workshop using Dunford's 10-step process
- Test new positioning language in sales calls and measure response
Ongoing
- Revisit positioning quarterly - markets shift and competitors emerge
- Train all customer-facing teams on positioning so messaging stays consistent
Suggested 30-day practice plan
An editorial application plan created by Monolithic Vault - an interpretation of the book's ideas, not part of the original book.
- Day 1
List your 10 happiest customers and identify patterns (industry, size, use case)
- Day 2
Document all competitive alternatives - including "do nothing" and manual processes
- Day 3
List every unique attribute you have that alternatives don't
- Day 7
Map attributes to value - what outcome does each attribute enable?
- Day 14
Define your best-fit customer profile based on who cares most about your unique value
- Day 21
Choose your market category and test it with 3 prospects - does it click?
- Day 30
Finalize positioning document and train sales team on new framing
Free PDF summary
Take this analysis with you: a designed two-page field-notes sheet with the thesis, my favorite quote, the key concepts and core insights, and the full 30-day checklist. Print it or keep it - free, no signup.
Go deeper
If this analysis earned your attention, the full book goes further than any summary can. The original is always the primary source.
