Who This Helps
This is for Product Managers in the Market Intelligence & Positioning course who are stuck choosing between good ideas. You have a list of possible experiments, but no clear way to pick the one that will actually change how customers see you.
Mini Case
Zaid’s team was debating three positioning experiments. One engineer favored a new integration, marketing wanted a pricing change, and sales asked for a feature demo. After building a quick positioning grid, they saw the integration scored highest on ‘ease of proof’ and ‘competitive differentiation.’ They ran that test first. In 2 weeks, they had clear data showing a 15% higher engagement from target accounts.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Grab your shortlist of 2-3 potential positioning moves from your last strategy session.
- Draw a simple grid. Label the rows with your experiment ideas.
- Pick three scoring criteria from your course work, like ‘ICP wedge fit,’ ‘evidence strength,’ or ‘speed to signal.’
- Score each experiment from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong) for each criterion. No ties allowed—force a decision.
- Tally the scores. The highest number is your next experiment. Seriously, just start there.
Avoid These Traps
- Don’t add more than three criteria. You’ll overcomplicate it and never decide.
- Don’t let the loudest voice in the room define the criteria. Use the ‘ICP Wedge Choice’ mission from the course as your anchor.
- Never prioritize something just because it’s easy to build. If it doesn’t shift perception, it’s a distraction.
- Avoid scoring things as a 3. That’s the ‘I don’t know’ score. Make a call.
Your Win by Friday
Your win isn’t a shipped feature. It’s a single, focused experiment brief that your whole team agrees on. You’ll move from circular debates to a clear hypothesis you can test. You’ll know exactly what ‘impact’ you’re measuring by next week. That’s how you turn noise into a strategy. Go make the grid—your future self at the next planning meeting will thank you.