Deliverables
1.1 Map Customer Pain Points & Jobs-to-be-Done
What you're creating: A comprehensive understanding of customer problems and desired outcomes.
Conduct customer interviews
Talk to 8-12 customers (mix of beta users, existing customers, and prospects):
- "Walk me through the last time you tried to solve [problem]."
- "What did you try? What worked? What didn't?"
- "What would make this 10x better?"
Create pain point matrix
| Persona | Current Problem | Emotional Impact | Frequency | Severity (1-10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DevOps Lead | Can't predict when we'll run out of capacity | Anxiety, fear of downtime | Weekly | 9 |
| Engineering Manager | Constantly firefighting resource issues | Frustration, burnout | Daily | 8 |
1.2 Develop Persona-Specific Messaging
What you're creating: Tailored value propositions for each buyer persona.
Create messaging framework for each persona
For each persona, define:
- Core value proposition: One sentence, their language
- 3 key benefits: Outcomes they care about
- Proof points: Stats, customer quotes, case studies
- Common objections: And how to address them
Write persona-specific one-pagers
Structure:
- Headline (outcome-focused)
- Subhead (how you deliver it)
- 3 benefit bullets
- Customer quote
- Clear CTA
Test messaging with customers
Run 5-8 message testing sessions:
- Show them 2-3 headline options
- Ask - "Which resonates most? Why?"
- Refine based on feedback
1.3 Create Competitive Positioning
What you're creating: A clear understanding of how you stack up against alternatives:
Build comprehensive competitor matrix
| Feature/Capability | You | Competitor A | Competitor B | Legacy Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core capability 1 | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integration with X | ✓✓✓ | Limited | ✗ | ✗ |
1.4 Build Your Positioning Framework
What you're creating: A positioning canvas that defines how your product fits in the market.
Define your category
Are you creating a new category or competing in an existing one?
- How do you describe this category in 2-3 words?
- What alternatives exist today?
Map your differentiation
Create a 2x2 matrix:
- X-axis: Key buying criteria 1 (e.g., ease of use)
- Y-axis: Key buying criteria 2 (e.g., enterprise features)
- Plot yourself and 3-4 competitors
Identify your "only" statement
Complete: "We're the only [category] that [unique capability]."
1.5 Define Your Launch Narrative
What you're creating: A clear, compelling story that explains what you're launching and why it matters.
Write your positioning statement
Use this framework: "[Product] is [category] that helps [target customer] [achieve outcome] by [unique approach]."
- Example: "AutoScale is a capacity planning platform that helps DevOps teams prevent downtime by predicting resource needs 48 hours in advance."
Develop your strategic angle
Answer these questions:
- What fundamental assumption are you challenging?
- What's changing in your customers' world that makes this necessary now?
- What can customers do with this that wasn't possible before?
Create your narrative arc
Structure: Status quo → What changed → The new possibility → How you deliver it → What success looks like
