“Positioning gives people context. Without it, even the best product is just noise.”

Customers use what they already know to make sense of what they don’t.
So when you introduce something new—a product, a service, a platform—they immediately reach for reference points.What does this remind me of?
Who is this competing with?
What should this cost?
Is this for someone like me?And most companies let those assumptions happen by accident.

Here’s the problem:
Most companies think positioning is something they inherit.
“We’re a data analytics platform, so I guess we’re in the BI category.”
“We do FPGA design, so we must compete with the usual suspects.”

But positioning is not something that happens to you. It’s something you craft—deliberately.

One of the clearest thinkers on this is April Dunford, and she breaks positioning down into five deeply interrelated components:

1. Competitive Alternatives – Not just competitors, but what customers would do if you didn’t exist.

2. Unique Attributes – What you have that those alternatives don’t.

3. Value – What those features enable for your customer.

4. Customer Segmentation – Who deeply cares about that value.

5. Market Category – The frame of reference that makes all of this make sense.

And here’s what most people miss:Your value is only unique if your features are unique.But your features are only unique in contrast to the alternatives.So if you don’t define the alternatives, you can’t define your value.

The sequence matters.

Start with:If we didn’t exist, what would our ideal buyer do?
Would they hire internally?
Would they piece together a DIY stack?
Would they just live with the pain?

Then:
→ What features do we offer that those paths don’t?
→ What outcomes do those features enable?
→ Who specifically cares about those outcomes the most?
→ And what context—what category—makes that value instantly obvious?

That’s positioning. And it’s not optional.

If you want to start dialing in your positioning,
you need to understand where your buyers are already paying attention.

That’s why I created the Dream 100 Template.
It’s the same tool I use with clients to:

• Map out the influencers, communities, podcasts, and newsletters that already hold your buyer’s attention

• Spot the positioning language your market is already using

• Identify where your brand should plug in and differentiate

👉 Download the Dream 100 Template and start positioning yourself intentionally—
not based on assumptions, but based on real conversations already happening in your market.

Because if you want to win the game of perception,
you have to stop waiting for people to “get it”—
and start shaping how they see you from the start.