Who This Helps
If you're a founder drowning in competitor updates and feature announcements, this is for you. The Market Intelligence & Positioning course gives you a system to turn that noise into a clear strategy. You'll stop reacting and start leading with confidence.
Mini Case
Zaid, a founder in the HR tech space, spent weeks tracking 15 competitors. He felt stuck. By building a simple positioning grid, he saw that only 3 competitors truly focused on remote teams. He doubled down on that wedge. In 90 days, his qualified leads increased by 40% because his message was finally distinct.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- Grab your mission. Your goal is to build a positioning grid with comparable criteria and tradeoffs. That's your one-page artifact.
- List your top 5 competitors. No more. Write them down in a column.
- Pick 3 comparison criteria. Think: price point, core feature, ideal customer type. Keep it simple.
- Fill in the grid. For each competitor, mark their stance on your 3 criteria. Use simple checks or short notes.
- Find your empty box. Look for a combination of criteria no one owns. That's your potential wedge. It's like finding the best parking spot everyone else missed.
Avoid These Traps
- Trap 1: Tracking too many players. You only need to watch the 5 that your customers actually mention.
- Trap 2: Using fluffy criteria. Avoid words like 'innovative.' Use concrete things like 'has a free plan' or 'requires a sales call.'
- Trap 3: Ignoring your own data. Your win-loss calls are gold. What did prospects say they bought instead?
- Trap 4: Chasing feature parity. You don't need to match everything. You need to be different in one important way.
- Trap 5: Overcomplicating the grid. If it takes more than 30 minutes to explain, it's too complex.
- Trap 6: Waiting for perfect data. Use what you know today. You can update the grid next quarter.
- Trap 7: Letting opinions override evidence. If the data says one thing and your gut says another, investigate the data first.
- Trap 8: Keeping it to yourself. Share the grid with your team. Their insights will make it better.
Your Win by Friday
By this Friday, have a one-page positioning grid drafted. Show it to one trusted advisor or team member. Get their reaction to one simple question: 'Based on this, where should we plant our flag?' Their answer will tell you if you're on the right track. Then you can move from analysis to approved execution.