Positioning

The same product can sell dramatically better with a different angle. Not a different product — just a different way of framing what it already does. This skill finds those angles.

Outcome

brand_context/positioning.md containing: primary positioning angle, competitive landscape summary, market sophistication assessment, and all explored alternatives.

The structured data format is defined in references/positioning-output.md.

Context Needs

Load if they exist. Proceed without them if not.

Before You Start

Check if brand_context/positioning.md exists.

If it exists → Update mode. Read the file, show the current primary angle and statement, and ask: "Want to refine this with fresh competitive data, or start from scratch?" Refine mode runs a fresh competitive search and suggests adjustments. Start fresh runs the full process below.

If it doesn't exist → proceed to Step 1.

Step 1: Identify the Transformation

Not the product. The transformation. What does the customer's life look like after? What pain disappears? What capability appears?

Ask: "What does your customer's life look like after using this? What changes?"

A fitness program sells "fit into your old jeans." A SaaS tool sells "close your laptop at 5pm." The transformation is the raw material for angles.

Step 2: Map Alternatives

What would customers do if this didn't exist? Not just competitors — all alternatives:

• Do nothing (live with the problem)
• DIY (cobble together a solution)
• Hire someone (consultant, freelancer, agency)
• Buy a different category entirely
• Buy a direct competitor

Each alternative has weaknesses. Those weaknesses become angle opportunities.

Step 3: Competitive Messaging Search

Search the web for real competitor messaging. This grounds angles in current market reality.

Read references/competitive-search.md for the full search process and landscape map format.

Key output: a map showing saturated claims (everyone says it), partially claimed territory, and white space (nobody is talking about it). Angles built on white space outperform echoed claims.

Step 4: Assess Market Sophistication

Read references/market-sophistication.md for Schwartz's 5 stages.

The market stage determines which angle type will work. A new category needs simple announcement. A crowded market needs mechanism explanation. A jaded market needs identity framing.

Step 5: Generate Angles

Run the product through multiple angle frameworks. Read references/angle-frameworks.md for the full set (Contrarian, Unique Mechanism, Transformation, Enemy, Speed/Ease, Specificity, Social Proof, Risk Reversal).

Generate 3-5 distinct options. For each:

• Statement — one sentence positioning
• Psychology — why this works with this audience at this market stage
• Headline direction — how it would sound in copy
• Best for — market conditions and audience segments

Before presenting, check each angle: specific, differentiated against the landscape map, believable given the available proof, relevant to the ICP, and concrete enough to picture as a headline or ad. Sharpen or drop any that fail.

Mark one with a recommendation and explain why it's the strongest fit given their competitive white space and market stage.

Ask: "Which angle resonates? Pick a number, or tell me to combine elements from multiple."

Step 6: Save Output

After the user selects an angle, write brand_context/positioning.md. Read references/positioning-output.md for the exact format.

If the file already existed, show what changed and confirm before overwriting.

After saving, offer: "Want me to generate a 12-ad testing matrix for this angle? I'll map 4 hooks across 3 formats."

Step 7: Collect Feedback

Ask: "How did this angle perform once you used it?" Log feedback to context/learnings.md under ## mkt-positioning with date and context.

Rules

Updated automatically when the user flags issues. Read before every run.

Self-Update

If the user flags an issue with the output, add a dated entry under ## Rules in this skill's SKILL.local.md (create it if missing) and log it to context/learnings.md under ## mkt-positioning. Write the general rule the correction implies, not the one-off fix.

Troubleshooting

User can't articulate the transformation: Ask what their best customers say about the product — the transformation is in their words, not the founder's. No competitors found: The product may be category-creating (Stage 1). Lead with simple announcement angles. All angles feel similar: The mechanism isn't clear enough. Go back to Step 1 and dig deeper on what makes their approach different. Positioning exists but feels stale: Run a fresh competitive search and compare — the market may have moved.