Positioning
Where does your unique value meet the world's urgent need?
Positioning is not marketing. It's the perceive that builds capital—seeing clearly where you create irreplaceable value, so resources flow toward you rather than away.
Play the evolution game to leave a legacy—better platforms to withstand threats and realize opportunities.
The Positioning Problem
Most people compete where others are already strong. They copy what worked for someone else and wonder why it doesn't work for them.
The symptoms:
- Racing to the bottom on price
- Indistinguishable from competitors
- Attracting the wrong customers
- Working hard but not compounding
The root cause: Unclear point of difference. If you can't articulate why someone should choose you, they won't.
The Ps Build Cs
Positioning sits at the strategic layer of the loop. It's the Perceive that attracts resources:
| Perceive | Builds | How |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Capital | Clear positioning attracts aligned investment |
| Positioning | Conviction | Knowing your edge enables confident bets |
| Positioning | Credibility | Differentiation signals expertise |
| Positioning | Commitment | Clear position makes sacrifice easier |
Without positioning, you're a commodity. With positioning, you're irreplaceable.
The Positioning Loop
Positioning emerges through the loop of consciousness:
[P] PERCEIVE ← Positioning lives here
/ \
/ \
[A] ----------- [Q]
ACT QUESTION
Conviction "Where's my edge?"
- Perceive your unique capabilities and market demand
- Question where the intersection creates maximum leverage
- Act by focusing resources on that intersection
The loop runs continuously. Positioning shifts as you evolve and markets change.
The P-C Framework for Positioning
| Perceive | Question | Act |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Is this aligned with who I am? | Commitment |
| Progress | Are we on track? | Consensus |
| Potential | Is this worth betting on? | Conviction |
Positioning asks the potential question: Is this worth betting on?
If yes → concentrate resources. If no → find a different intersection.
Finding Your Edge
The Intersection
Point of difference lives where three things meet:
What you're great at
/\
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ ★ \
/ EDGE \
/ \
/____________\
What you love What world needs
Missing any element:
- Great at + Love but no need → Hobby
- Great at + Need but no love → Burnout
- Love + Need but not great → Frustration
All three → Point of difference
The Capability-Demand Matrix
Where does your supply meet high demand?
| Capability | Your Edge | Market Edge | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy | Judgment, trade-offs | AI modeling | High |
| Sales | Trust, relationships | Automation | High |
| Product | Empathy, taste | Code generation | High |
| Infrastructure | Architecture | Automation | Medium |
| Operations | Exceptions | Process automation | Low |
| Administration | Oversight | Bookkeeping | Low |
High demand + Your edge = Position here.
Low demand + Market edge = Automate or outsource.
Positioning Strategy
The Three Questions
- Who is this for? (not everyone)
- What makes you different? (not better—different)
- Why should they believe you? (proof, not claims)
If you can't answer all three crisply, your positioning is weak.
Differentiation Paths
| Path | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Category King | Create a new category you can own | Salesforce created "SaaS CRM" |
| Niche Domination | Be the best in a small pond | Stripe for developer payments |
| Contrarian | Take the opposite position | Basecamp vs. enterprise software |
| Platform | Enable others to build | Shopify for merchants |
| Integration | Connect fragmented pieces | Zapier for workflows |
The Value Proposition Stack
Positioning Statement (external)
↓
Value Proposition (specific benefit)
↓
Point of Difference (why you, not them)
↓
Proof Points (evidence it's true)
Work from bottom up. You can't claim a position you can't prove.
The Pricing Signal
Price reveals positioning. Where you price signals where you belong:
| Price Position | Signal | Attracts |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Quality, exclusivity | Buyers who value outcomes |
| Value | Efficiency, reliability | Pragmatic buyers |
| Low-cost | Accessibility, volume | Price-sensitive buyers |
The trap: Pricing low to "build market share" often attracts customers you don't want and repels the ones you do.
Positioning in AI Age
The AI shift changes what's worth positioning around:
| Yesterday's Edge | Tomorrow's Edge |
|---|---|
| Knowledge | Judgment |
| Execution speed | Direction setting |
| Technical skill | Taste and curation |
| Information access | Synthesis and sense-making |
| Doing the work | Knowing what work matters |
Position around what AI can't do—at least not yet.
What Next?
Positioning enables strategic action:
- Persuasion — How do you communicate your position? → Persuasion
- Priorities — What deserves focus given your position? → Priorities
- Predictions — Where is your market going? → Predictions
- Products — What delivers your point of difference? → Products
📄️ Business
Develop a Point of Difference by being very clear on your unique value proposition.
📄️ personal-strategy
📄️ Pricing
Price is what you pay and value is what you get.
Where is your point of difference?