positioning-statement

Overview of positioning-statement skill

What positioning-statement does

The positioning-statement skill helps you write a Geoffrey Moore-style positioning statement: a concise strategic claim that defines who the product is for, what problem it solves, what category it belongs in, and why it is meaningfully different. It is most useful for Product Marketing, founders, and product teams that need sharper market language, not just a better slogan.

When this skill is the right fit

Use the positioning-statement skill when you need to align stakeholders on a product’s market position, pressure-test a value proposition, or turn vague messaging into a defensible statement. It is a strong fit for early-stage products, category refinement, and competitor-aware messaging work.

What makes it useful

This skill is decision-oriented: it forces tradeoffs around target customer, need, category, and differentiation. That makes it more useful than a generic prompt when you want language that can guide launch pages, sales decks, homepage copy, and internal strategy discussions.

How to Use positioning-statement skill

Install the skill

Install with npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill positioning-statement. If you are using a skills-enabled workflow, this makes positioning-statement available as a reusable prompt component instead of a one-off draft.

Give the model the right inputs

The positioning-statement usage works best when you provide four things up front: the target customer, the painful need, the product category, and the main alternative or competitor. Stronger input looks like this: “Write a positioning statement for a workflow automation product for RevOps teams that need to reduce manual handoffs; compare it against spreadsheets and generic automation tools.” Weak input like “make this sound better” leaves the skill guessing.

Start with the source files

For install and workflow clarity, read SKILL.md first, then template.md, then examples/sample.md. That order gives you the intent, the exact structure, and a concrete good/bad comparison before you adapt the pattern to your own product. The template is especially important because the skill is structured, not freeform.

Use the template as a prompt scaffold

The fastest way to get quality output is to fill in the template fields before asking for prose. Map your inputs to: For [target customer], that need [underserved need], is a [category], that [outcome benefit], and Unlike [alternative], provides [differentiation]. If you can’t complete one of those fields, that usually signals a positioning problem, not a writing problem.

positioning-statement skill FAQ

Is positioning-statement only for Product Marketing?

No. The positioning-statement skill is especially relevant for Product Marketing, but it also helps founders, product managers, and go-to-market teams who need a clear category narrative. If the task is to define market position, it fits; if the task is purely copy polish, it is probably overkill.

How is this different from a normal prompt?

A normal prompt often produces a plausible paragraph. The positioning-statement skill gives you a repeatable structure that forces specificity and makes weak assumptions obvious. That matters when you need a statement you can defend against competitors, sales objections, or internal review.

Is this beginner-friendly?

Yes, if you already know the product and audience reasonably well. It is less friendly when the product is still undefined, because the framework depends on making choices about target, need, and alternatives. In that case, the skill can still help, but only after you supply enough market context.

When should I not use it?

Do not use positioning-statement when you need headline copy, a tagline, or broad brand messaging with no competitive framing. It is also a poor fit if you cannot name a real alternative, because differentiation is central to the structure.

How to Improve positioning-statement skill

Make the target narrower

The biggest quality gain comes from narrowing the customer. “Teams” is too broad; “mid-market HR teams hiring at scale” is usable. Better targeting makes the positioning-statement skill produce language that sounds strategic instead of generic.

Define the alternative honestly

The strongest output comes from naming the actual substitute users compare against: spreadsheets, manual workflows, a category incumbent, or “do nothing.” If you only say “traditional tools,” the result will usually be vague because the comparison is vague.

Feed it proof, not adjectives

If you want better positioning-statement usage, provide evidence of why your product is different: speed, accuracy, fewer handoffs, lower implementation effort, or a unique workflow. Avoid input like “modern,” “powerful,” or “best-in-class”; those words do not help the skill choose a clear, believable differentiator.

Iterate from a draft, not a blank page

A practical positioning-statement guide workflow is: draft once, check whether the target is specific, the need is painful, the category is recognizable, and the differentiation is observable. Then tighten the weakest field and rerun. If the output feels broad, the fix is usually better inputs, not more prompting.