Positioning and market strategy
Positioning and narrative for complex tech products
From vague vision to clear value proposition. Stop explaining yourself in every meeting, and start having conversations where people immediately get it.
Sound familiar?
Signs it's time
- Every founder describes the company differently.
- Investors like the team but don't get the market.
- Prospects ask 'so is it like X?' and you spend the call correcting them.
- The website explains the technology, not the problem it solves.
- You have grown fast, and the original story no longer fits the business.
- The category is crowding up and you need a reason to be chosen.
What I do
What's included
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Positioning
Target customer, competitive alternatives, unique value and the market frame you compete in.
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Strategic narrative
The story of the change in the world, and your place in it, for investors, customers, partners and hires.
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Messaging framework
Headline, value pillars and proof points, adapted for each audience.
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Pitch and website
Applying it to the investor deck, the sales pitch and the homepage.
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Team alignment
Workshops so the whole leadership team tells the same story, and brand briefs for designers and agencies.
How it works
How an engagement runs
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Listen
Weeks 1 to 2
Interviews with founders, best-fit customers, investors and lost deals, to hear how the market really sees you.
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Workshop
Week 3
One or two working sessions with the leadership team to make the positioning decisions together.
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Write
Weeks 3 to 5
Narrative, messaging framework and pitch structure, drafted and refined with you.
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Apply and test
Weeks 5 to 6
Deck, website and sales conversations, refined against real reactions.
Who it's for
A good fit if you are
- Technical founders whose product is ahead of its explanation
- Companies after a pivot, a new product line or a period of rapid growth
- Teams preparing a fundraise, launch or rebrand
Probably not the right fit for
- A visual identity on its own; I brief and work alongside designers for that
Proof
Recent work
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Positioning and coaching
Stakemate
Worked with the team on professionalising the proposition after a period of rapid growth: developing new positioning, and coaching the team and senior leaders through the transition.
Result: Scalable market positioning for the next phase of growth.
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Business plan and fundraise
Myne Browser
Built out the business plan and economic model: a five-year model, deal room development, and materials for investor presentations.
Result: An investor-ready plan, model and deal room.
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Matt and the team have been instrumental in helping the Boson team around shared goals, guiding us through the process of refining our brand, product, and value proposition to meet the needs of our users.
Justin Banon, Founder & CEO, Boson
Why me
Operator, not adviser
- Over 15 years in brand and digital agencies, including Dare, Tribal Worldwide and AnalogFolk, working with Vodafone, Sony, HSBC and Heineken
- Advised founders across 370+ emerging-tech companies at Outlier Ventures, from pre-seed to growth
- Degree in psychology, focused on how people interact with technology
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between positioning and messaging?
Positioning is the decision: who you are for, what you're up against and why you win. Messaging is how you say it. Most messaging problems are positioning problems in disguise.
How long does it take?
Typically four to six weeks from the first interviews to a finished narrative and messaging framework.
Do you write the website and deck?
I write the narrative and messaging framework and can draft the key pages and the pitch. I also brief, and work alongside, your designers or agency.
Working on something at the inflection point?
Let's talk about where you are and where you want to get to.