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Understand your customers

How do I position against a bigger, better-funded competitor?

Don't fight them on their strengths, reframe the category so your strengths matter most. Anchor on the competitive alternatives your best customers actually consider, then make your differentiated value obvious for the segment the incumbent underserves. Positioning is a choice, not a default.

Go deeper

2 resources, 1 link-checked.

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

A free, author-written summary of the positioning framework for founders who want the core idea before buying the book, perfect for the 'how do I position against a giant?' question.

My Positioning Book 'Obviously Awesome' Launches Today

From aprildunford.com by April Dunford ~8 min read

  • Any product can be positioned in several markets, pick deliberately
  • Great positioning rarely happens by default
  • Understanding true alternatives reveals your differentiators
  • Position where your strengths are obvious to your best customers
Open aprildunford.com →
📖 Book
Paid Intermediate

The best book on positioning against competitors by understanding the alternatives customers actually consider. Directly turns competitive research into a market advantage.

Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It

From aprildunford.com by April Dunford ~200 pages

  • Your real competition is often the status quo, not another product
  • Start positioning from the competitive alternatives your buyers consider
  • Differentiated value comes from your unique capabilities vs those alternatives
  • Choose the market frame that makes your strengths obvious
Open aprildunford.com →

People also ask

How do I research my competitors properly? 2 → What if my customers say they have no competitors, is that good or bad? 2 → What tools should I use to track competitors and market landscape? 2 → How do I size the market and figure out if it's big enough? 2 → How do I understand the competitive landscape for an Indian market specifically? 2 → How do I do competitive research when my competitors are private and share almost no public numbers? 3 →

Also in How Founders Use AI

How founders actually use AI for this, over in Market Research.

How do founders validate a startup idea with AI in a weekend? 20 → How do I use AI to map competitors, pricing, and positioning? 22 →

Also in GTM

The same ground, over in Who you sell to, and why they care, our GTM track.

What is an ICP and how is it different from a persona? People use both words for the same thing. 4 → What is positioning in plain English, and why does everyone insist we have got it wrong? 3 →
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