If Your Product Is Perfect—Then Why Is NO one Listening?
Tired of Being Ignored? Let’s Fix Your Product Positioning! - Straight-Talk Strategies to Grab Attention in a Busy World
a little context first…
Words shape a business in a big way. That’s why it’s so important to figure out the right way to describe what your product does and why it matters. As a growth hacking consultant, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to and helping companies untangle the way they talk about their products, making sure the message really connects with people.
Not too long ago, I worked with a new startup that had a cool AI Voice Agent for sales and support. But since the B2B world is packed with competition, they were struggling to stand out. Their biggest problem? They couldn’t get their message across in a clear, simple way. They had the technology and the vision, but positioning was also buried under complicated tech jargon.
That’s when our path crossed. I wasn’t just a consultant anymore—I became their storyteller. I helped them break down their complex tech and talk about it in a way that spoke to the real needs of their customers.
Our first step was to peel away the extra fluff and find the product’s main benefit. We dug deep into who their audience really was—regular people with specific goals and problems to solve.
It took time and a lot of back-and-forth, but in the end, we created a website that didn’t just list features. It told a story—the product’s story—in a way that clicked with their audience. Once the founders saw how simple, clear messaging boosted their growth, they realized just how powerful good positioning can be.
I’ve learned one key lesson over and over in my career: in B2B, it’s not enough to just be heard—you need to be understood.
Through this blog, I’ll share the insights, tips, and real stories that can help your product not just exist, but truly thrive in the market.
early-stage positioning is like speed dating, but no one knows the rules…
When you’re running an early-stage startup, figuring out how to position your product feels overwhelming. I’ve talked to a lot of founders who say they’re not sure how to explain what they do or who exactly they’re targeting. A big reason for this is the lack of solid data. In the early days, there just isn’t much info to guide your decisions, so founders often end up going with what their gut tells them (which is good, but also very 50 - 50).
Many founders feel like they’re sailing without a map. Things get even more complicated when venture capitalists come into the picture. These investors are on the lookout for the next huge success, which puts pressure on founders to show how big they can go—and fast.
why NOT to target Broad Market!
Over the years, I’ve seen many startups make a big mistake: trying to go after too broad of a market. It sounds good in theory—why not aim for the largest possible audience, right? But as I said before, when you try to speak to everyone, you usually end up speaking to no one.
We call this “anti-positioning.” It happens when a startup wants to serve a huge market and say things like they can solve a bunch of problems for a bunch of different people. The message gets so watered down that it doesn’t click with anyone in particular.
I’ve noticed this a lot with startups that have venture capital funding. Their investors want them to grab a massive market. But in reality, what happens is one giant market is always a mix of smaller groups, each with its own specific needs. So when a startup claims they can handle everything for everyone, it’s almost impossible to pull off and vibes with not a single person.
This broad approach really hurts the product and consequently the startup. Without a clear focus, it becomes hard to explain what your product does and who it’s really for.
Instead, the strongest startups choose one specific group to target first. By getting known in that niche and winning over those customers, they build a solid base and grow more effectively down the line.
think small, to go big — for Positioning
The Lean Startup mindset makes a huge difference here—especially when you’re trying to figure out how to position your product. It is called the “minimum viable positioning,” which is basically picking a small, clearly defined market segment at first, knowing you will shift or expand later as you learn more.
I once worked with a founder who was chasing a huge market right out of the gate. They wanted quick, big wins. But after doing a lot of ICP testing, we realized they needed to scale back and focus on a smaller, more specific group of users. Once we did that, things started to click. They understood their audience better, fine-tuned their product, and the positioning felt more natural.
This switch from thinking big to thinking focused is tough, no doubt about it. But that’s the power of “minimum viable positioning”—it keeps you from wasting resources on audiences that are not the best fit. You concentrate on a smaller slice of the market, nail down your message, and then you can always grow from there.
but rishikesh, how to do Effective Positioning
Positioning your product in the B2B world is half artistic and half scientific. Over time, many positioning experts have built a simple framework to help startups do this with clarity. It’s based on real-world work and proven methods, not just theory.
A big part of this framework is getting super specific—whether that’s focusing on certain use cases, types of companies, or particular user groups. When you zero in like this, your message hits home with the people who actually need what you’re offering.
Here’s the gist:
first, decide if you’re positioning around one specific use case or a few related ones.
then, figure out who you’re targeting—maybe it’s a specific type of company, a certain persona, or just one main use case.
Being crystal clear on at least one of these things is key.
Startups often feel lost in a crowded market. By zooming in on a particular type of user and use case, you create messages that truly connected with your audience. Choose your market element (the user type, company type, or use case) and your product angle (its special features or the category it fits into with a unique twist).
I remember another startup that was entering a new category (Live Audience Engagement) people didn’t fully understand yet. By matching their main features to a clear use case and specific market segment, we nailed a strong position that really stood out.
let’s take an example of an automated expense tracking app.
Positioning: Automated expense tracking app for small agencies drowning in manual expense reports.
Specific Use Case: Simplify and automate expense tracking for design agencies.
Why It Works: Agencies handle frequent client-related costs but often rely on clunky spreadsheets. By zooming in on this one headache, you offer a direct fix that’s immediately appealing.
Keep in mind, this framework isn’t set in stone. As your product and market change, your positioning should evolve too. Start with a focused approach, test, learn, and adjust as you go.
from Positioning to Messaging — the exact words.
Once you’ve figured out where your product fits in the market, the next big step is turning that position into clear, engaging messages. In other words, you need to take your positioning strategy and shape it into a story that speaks directly to your audience’s needs.
Not just a snappy slogan—it’s a focused statement that explains what your product does for a specific group of people and why they should pick it over other options.
If you really understand your product’s position in the market but struggle to explain the actual benefits, you need to craft value propositions that tackle your users’ main problems head-on. You need to dig into what makes the product unique and how it solves issues the target audience keeps running into.
When you create value propositions, you have to balance highlighting what’s cool or different about your product with making it matter to the user’s daily life. Show them what’s wrong with their current setup and how your product makes things better.
The main lesson here is that good messaging helps people see exactly how your product improves their work or solves a problem they care about. You need to create a deep connection between your product and the people you’re aiming to help.
Look at this example of a Video Conferencing Tool for Remote Teams
Positioning: “We connect remote teams with crystal-clear calls and easy scheduling—no more dropped meetings or confusing logins.”
Messaging:
Value Proposition: “Set up meetings in seconds, keep HD video quality, and never worry about a call dropping mid-conversation again.”
Story-Focused Explanation: Paint a picture of a remote team spread around the globe: “Imagine your designers in Berlin, your developers in Tokyo, and your manager in New York all jumping into an uninterrupted video call with zero fuss.”
strong value proposition!! — what is that?
Think of it as the “hook” that shows why your product’s special features really matter to your audience. Not just what your product does—but how it helps people in a way that other products don’t.
From my time helping startups grow, I’ve noticed two main keys to a powerful value proposition:
Pinpoint the biggest pain points your target market faces.
Match your product’s unique strengths to solve those pains in a clear, direct way.
Sometimes you have all kinds of innovative features, but you can’t quite explain why those features matter. then you need to step back and look at what is really bothering their potential customers. You need to connect those cool features directly to the pains people are feeling. That way, your value proposition will show exactly how the product solves real problems.
This kind of approach means you need a deep grasp of both your product and your audience. You have to spot where current solutions fall short and show how your product fixes those gaps. The best value propositions don’t brag about features; they spell out how those features actually help users.
Let’s see if we were working with Stripe, how would we do it:
Biggest Pain Point: Subscription-based businesses deal with failed payments, churn, and complex billing systems.
Unique Strengths: Automated retry logic for declined cards, transparent billing analytics, and a simplified user checkout.
Value Proposition Example: “Never lose a loyal subscriber again due to a declined card. Our platform handles billing hiccups automatically, helping you keep customers happy—and keep revenue stable.”
one last thing — try posthog to test everything before implementing.
Positioning and messaging are the core of how people see, understand, and embrace your product.
I hope you’ll take these ideas and use them in your own work. The process of refining your positioning and messaging never really ends—it grows and changes as you learn more about your market. By sticking to these principles, you can help your product connect better with the people who need it.
In a busy market, a product with a clear, strong message always stands out. Keep working on how you present what you do, and watch your product thrive.