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

What it’s about

Obviously Awesome argues that great products fail not because they're bad but because they're poorly positioned—placed in a context where customers can't perceive their value. Drawing on April Dunford's 25 years repositioning sixteen products as a startup VP of marketing and her work consulting with dozens of tech companies, the book reframes positioning as deliberate 'context setting' rather than the useless fill-in-the-blank positioning statement. It breaks positioning into five-plus-one components (competitive alternatives, unique attributes, value, target market characteristics, market category, and trends) and provides a field-tested 10-step process for finding the market frame of reference that makes your strengths obvious to your best-fit customers. With memorable examples—from cake pops to Joshua Bell to a database repositioned as a data warehouse—it shows founders, marketers, and salespeople how strong positioning shortens sales cycles, reduces churn, supports premium pricing, and supercharges every marketing and sales tactic.

The through-line

Who it’s for

A founder, marketer, or salesperson at a startup or tech company who wants prospects to quickly understand and buy their product.

The problem

Customers can't figure out what the product is, compare it to the wrong things, and don't buy. They feel frustrated and confused, blaming sales or marketing while sales cycles drag and churn rises.

The plan

1. Identify your happiest best-fit customers
2. List the true competitive alternatives they'd use without you
3. Isolate your unique attributes and map them to provable value
4. Determine which customers care a lot about that value
5. Choose a market category and positioning style that highlights your strengths

The payoff

Prospects quickly understand and want your product · Shorter sales cycles, higher close rates, lower churn · Ability to charge a premium

See our guide

• The Four-S Discipline — One System, Four Capabilities →
• Market A Product Or Brand →
• Set Strategy And Build Durable, Measurable Advantage →
• Find An Advantage Competitors Cannot Copy →
• Run Digital & Performance Marketing →
• Grow Without Breaking What Works →
• Measure Marketing Honestly →
• Set Goals And OKRs That Actually Move →
• Position A Brand People Choose →
• Price And Package An Offer →

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Featured in these guides

• Find An Advantage Competitors Cannot Copy →Cited source
• Run Digital & Performance Marketing →Cited source
• Grow Without Breaking What Works →Cited source
• Market A Product Or Brand →Cited source
• Measure Marketing Honestly →Cited source
• Set Goals And OKRs That Actually Move →Cited source
• Position A Brand People Choose →Cited source
• Price And Package An Offer →Cited source
• Set Strategy And Build Durable, Measurable Advantage →Cited source