Why competitive alternatives matter first

In today’s episode, I dive into why competitive alternatives—not problems or future visions—are the right place to start a positioning exercise. I explain how different teams inside a company misunderstand competition in predictable ways, and why positioning must focus only on who shows up on customer shortlists right now. I also share how my thinking on this step has evolved since the first edition of my book, Obviously Awesome, and why getting this step wrong makes every other positioning decision harder.

You will learn:

(03:26) How competitive alternatives are broader than direct competitors but narrower than imagined threats.

(05:05) Why starting with “the problem” often leads to vague or misleading positioning inputs.

(09:21) How jobs-to-be-done thinking reshaped April’s positioning methodology.

(12:19) What the milkshake story teaches about customer comparison frameworks.

(14:46) Why sales teams are the most reliable source for identifying real competitive alternatives.

(17:52) How product, marketing, and founders each skew the competitive picture in different ways.

(24:49) Why AI tools like ChatGPT cannot accurately tell you who your real competitors are.

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Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:

Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact

April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/

April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/

April’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/

April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford

April’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positioningshow

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Mentioned in this episode:

* Obviously Awesome, Second Edition (forthcoming), by April Dunford.

* Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen.

* Bob Moesta, researcher at JobsToBeDone.org.

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Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:

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

“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22April%20Dunford%22&c=books

Barnes & Noble: https://www.bn.com/s/%22April%20Dunford%22

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/april-dunford

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The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.

Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02XBrnPJ7NVGPUgHC7xstU

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow

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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/