Why Positioning Is Hard, And How to Get It Right Early
Positioning your business in the market is one of the hardest things to get right. It’s not just about branding or messaging, it’s about how you define your product in the minds of your customers.
And if you're an early-stage founder, the challenge is compounded by noise, uncertainty, and constant pivots. Let’s unpack why it's hard, what actually matters early on, and how to cut through the clutter to find clarity.
There’s Never a “Right Time” to Start
There’s a lot of advice out there about when to launch a business. In reality, there’s rarely a perfect time. Conditions are rarely ideal, markets shift, timing is unpredictable, and life tends to complicate even the best-laid plans. At some point, unexpected challenges will show up, and they’ll test your confidence.
This is normal. It doesn't mean you're on the wrong path. But how you respond really matters. The key is not to blindly push forward with the same plan. It’s to regroup, reassess, and adjust.
That ability to adapt is directly tied to how you position your business.
Positioning: The Clarity You Can’t Afford to Miss
Positioning is how you frame your offering to customers, investors, and even your own team. As Al Ries and Jack Trout wrote in the classic book Positioning, it's not about creating something new and different, it's about manipulating what’s already in the mind.
That’s why clarity is so essential.
“Positioning is not what you do to a product. It is what you do to the mind of the prospect.”
- Ries & Trout
In the early days of a startup, this is where most founders go wrong. They try to say too much. They build too many features. They try to be everything to everyone. And in doing so, they confuse the very people they’re trying to reach.
The Only Feedback That Matters
When you're still validating your idea, feedback is essential, but not all feedback is equally valuable. In these early stages, it’s crucial to prioritize input from people who matter: actual potential customers and those who’ve built similar businesses before. Friends and well-meaning bystanders may offer encouragement or opinions, but unless they’re your target market or have relevant experience, their input can mislead more than it helps.
As Paul Graham of Y Combinator famously said, “The most important thing you can do is to make something people want.” That principle should be your guiding light.
Reaching product-market fit doesn’t require a polished brand, a logo, or even a complete product. What you need is simple: a problem worth solving, a solution people are willing to pay for, and a clear way to communicate it. Start with a direct question: “I’m building this to solve [specific problem]. Would you pay for it?” If you’re not getting honest yeses, or constructive feedback that moves you closer, you either haven’t positioned your offering clearly, or the idea needs refinement. Early traction comes not from perfection, but from clarity, relevance, and solving a real problem.
Clarity Over Complexity
Here’s the hard truth: being vague feels safe. Saying “we help teams collaborate better” sounds impressive but means nothing. Being specific takes guts. But it’s the only way to cut through noise.
A clear positioning statement in the early stage might look like:
“We help independent accountants automate tax reporting using AI, saving them 15+ hours per month.”
It’s tight. It’s targeted. And you instantly know whether you care about that or not. That’s the power of positioning.
Don’t Confuse Activity With Progress
When positioning gets messy, it’s often because you're trying to do too much at once:
Appealing to too many customer types
Highlighting every feature
Reacting to too much outside noise
Startups die this way. Especially now, when budgets are tight and companies aren’t spending on anything that isn’t essential.
If your product doesn’t solve a real, costly problem for businesses or customers, one they’re willing to spend money to fix, you need to pivot fast or shut down. There’s no room for “nice-to-haves” anymore.
Repositioning Is Inevitable—But Clarity Is Non-Negotiable
You will reposition. That’s part of growing a company. You’ll learn more about your customers, your product, and the market, and you’ll adapt. That’s normal.
But the lack of clarity is not something you can afford to let linger. As long as you’re unclear about:
Who your product is for
What problem you solve
Why your solution is better
…you’ll struggle to gain traction.
Final Thought: Solve the Real Problem
At every stage, remind yourself: are we still solving a real problem?
Everything else is noise.
Your position in the market isn’t just a tagline, it’s your compass. Without it, you are in toruble.
If you’d like to chat about your businesses current positioning or branding in general then, please feel free to email me at: george@drewettdesigns.com
Or Book a free 30-minute discovery call here.
