April isn’t shy in proclaiming the mission-critical role that Positioning plays in product success. Nor is she bashful in calling out product-market fit as “a myth” (and making an interesting case in the process).
Listen in to catch thoughts from April Dunford on the following:
[02:20] Product managers & product marketers. We’re sort of becoming hip. We’re cool now.
[04:27] Positioning is foundational. In fact, it’s so foundational that we either think it’s already been done…or that we can’t do anything about it anyway.
[06:32] Positioning. What it is; what it isn’t.
[09:16] Good-fit customers. You want a pipeline of those.
[09:38] Bad-fit customers. Cull the herd.
[13:13] Good fit means “good for the customer and good for the business.”
[13:50] Segmentation. So much more than demographics and firmographics.
[15:51] Actionable Customer Segmentation. Catch how April’s discovery process leads to actionable customer segmentation.
[19:45] Product-market fit. “I do have a bit of hate on for product-market fit.”
[26:10] Product-market fit part deux. “It’s baloney. It’s not a thing.”
[27:32] Magic marketing moment. When everything feels easy. Like you’re running down hill.
[30:01] (product + category) x Trend. Trends are accelerants to positioning. They make your stuff seem sexier.
[31:04] Trends part deux. The trend answers the question, “Why now?”.
[32:49] In competition with the status quo. Doing nothing is always an option for customers.
[34:00] Positioning: investors vs. customers. Why the pitch is so different. (hint: it’s about value)
[36:39] Innovation. There’s lots of ways to be innovative outside of the technology.
[38:23] Acquisition features and retention features. One to set the hook, the other to make sure it stays there.
[43:23] Positioning as a superpower. It can change the way both your team and the world think about the problems you solve, your technology, or even your entire market.