The Startup Genome model defines five stages of venture development:
This article relates to those startups in the efficiency stage.
Product positioning and the way you are positioning your startup have a critical influence on a customer’s buying decision. Positioning creates an image in the mind of your target customer about your startup and your product in relation to the available alternatives. It has to let the customer know what you do, and what your product does for them.
For startups following Steve Blank’s Customer Development Model, your first steps to develop your company and product positioning would have begun during the customer validation stage.
Now that you have reached the customer creation stage, it is time to refine how you are positioning your startup, as well as your product positioning. Make sure you keep the positioning consistent as you scale.
In the customer creation stage, it can be helpful to engage the expertise of a public relations (PR) firm.
In contrast to the order you followed in the customer validation stage, now that you are in the customer creation stage you need to work on positioning your startup before you refine your product positioning.
Conduct interviews with internal stakeholders as well as key external industry players to find out what perceptions currently exist about your company and product. Once these opinions are known, you can go about shaping them.
At the customer creation stage, many startups hire a PR firm to assist with specialized messaging. Find one that is familiar with your market or adjacent ones. Ensure it has experience and expertise with strategic positioning and communications—good PR firms will have skills that include positioning, articulating your message, refining your audience and spurring industry thought leaders to communicate your message.
Positioning your startup and your product to match your market type is essential:
Blank, S.G. (2005). The Four Steps to the Epiphany. Self-published: Cafepress.com.
Moore, G. (1999). Crossing the Chasm. (Revised ed.). New York: Harper Business.
Wiefels, P. (2002). The Chasm Companion. New York: Harper Business.