Who This Helps
This is for Product Managers in the Market Intelligence & Positioning program who are stuck in endless 'what if' debates. You have a pile of product questions and need one measurable decision to rally the team around.
Mini Case
Zaid's team was debating three different feature bets based on competitor chatter. They spent 3 weeks going in circles. He built a simple positioning grid in 90 minutes, scoring each option against core customer criteria. The grid showed one option had a 40% higher alignment score with their ideal customer profile. That became the next experiment. The other two ideas went into the backlog, no hard feelings.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Grab your notes from the Competitor Claim Audit mission. You've already separated evidence from noise.
- List your top 3-4 potential product moves or experiments on a whiteboard or doc.
- Down the left side, list 5-7 criteria your ideal customer cares about most. Use your ICP Wedge Choice work here.
- Score each move (1-5) on how well it addresses each criterion. Be brutally honest.
- Tally the scores. The highest number wins. That's your next experiment. Seriously, just pick it.
Avoid These Traps
- Don't add 20 criteria. More than seven and you'll overcomplicate it. Keep it simple.
- Don't let the loudest voice in the room override the scores. The grid is the referee.
- Don't ignore a low-scoring area if it's a critical customer need. That's a sign to rethink the move.
- Don't spend more than two hours building the first version. This is a tool for deciding, not a work of art.
- Don't forget to use your Win-Loss Evidence Cut to validate your criteria. Real data beats opinions.
- Don't try to make the scores perfect. A directionally correct decision now is better than a perfect one next quarter.
- Don't hide the grid. Share it with your team so everyone sees why you're choosing this path.
- Don't let 'shiny object syndrome' add new moves mid-scoring. Lock the list first.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you will have one prioritized experiment, backed by your positioning grid. You'll stop the team debates with a clear, visual rationale. You'll present the chosen move in your next sprint planning with confidence, knowing it focuses effort on the highest-impact opportunity. Your superpower is turning noise into a 'go' decision. Time to use it.