The Startup Velocity Question: Is it Positioning?

We are in 2024.

Almost every market is super crowded.

Most often, the problem is not with the sales team, nor with the technology.

The problem is with Product Positioning.

The tech startup world is full of marketing people who can run campaigns. The industry dramatically lacks strategic marketing expertise.

Add to that the issue that entrepreneurs often come from a technical background. They have no understanding of the nuances of sophisticated Positioning.

Yet, if you can find the right positioning, product-market fit can snap in gear.
Inbound leads can be engineered to flow.
Sales cycles can become shorter.

In my consulting career, the bulk of the successful turnaround work I have done has been around fixing Positioning problems.

In 1Mby1M, we have made laser-sharp Positioning a critical element of how we train entrepreneurs to think about their ventures.
Do not spray and pray has become the 1Mby1M mantra.
We live by these principles.

Segment. Look for the gap. Look for pain extraction questions against that gap.
Design a repeatable sales process to execute to a precise positioning.
Find a business model and a pricing model that is backed up by precise ROI analysis.
Make sure there is enough of a bottom-up TAM to build a sizable business.
Understand the sales cycle. 18-month high-touch sales cycles are unsustainable.
Understand the buyer. Smart or dumb?
Understand how budget items are prioritized. Mission critical or Nice to have?

The good news: in a lot of cases, Positioning is fixable.

Key Takeaways:

• Product Positioning is often the main issue for startups in crowded markets.
• Strategic marketing expertise is lacking in the tech startup world.
• Crisp Positioning can lead to strong product-market fit.
• Segmentation, precise positioning, and understanding the buyer are crucial.
• Positioning problems are often fixable with the right approach.

My Question to You:

How is your Positioning working in YOUR market? Are you gaining traction?

If you think you need help, consider 1-on-1 Private Consulting with me. I will diagnose and create a path forward in an hour.

Photo by Kamil Pietrzak on Unsplash

This segment is a part in the series : The Startup Velocity Question