Positioning Strategy

Overview

Positioning is the single most important strategic decision a solopreneur makes. It determines who you attract, what you can charge, and whether you're memorable or forgettable. Bad positioning = competing on price against everyone. Good positioning = being the obvious, only choice for a specific group. This playbook builds your position from the ground up and turns it into messaging.

Step 1: Understand What You're Positioning Against

You are not just competing against other products. You're competing against every alternative your customer has — including doing nothing. Map the full competitive set:

• Direct alternatives: Products that solve the exact same problem.
• Indirect alternatives: Different approaches to the same outcome.
• The status quo: Whatever they're doing RIGHT NOW. This is often the strongest competitor.

For each alternative, write one sentence: what it does well, and what it fails at. This gap analysis feeds directly into your position.