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@carlvellotti Very good ... separate comparing your roadmap with "enterprise features checklist" specifically - this is a good way to to prepare to defend any roadmap. Why is a feature there. At that priority. Why is the cutline there. What is the overall budget alignment.
@hochschild_r reading Strangers avidly. New Hidden Brain podcast talks about radicalization. Context in which it occurs matches stories in Louisiana. Primed by loss then exposed to new ideas that reestablish community
https://t.co/1A932WJCu9
Product-market fit is not enough anymore. You need position-market fit:
There was a time, not too long ago, where in startupland one could build a thing that solved a real problem, put a price tag on it, and see if the market wanted it:
• If they did, then we would have said he had found product-market fit
• If they didn’t, we would say he didn’t and it was “back to the lab”
That time, for better or worse, is long gone.
Here’s how @0zne and I break it down:
In 2024, a utility provided through software can’t make a dent effectively anymore. People’s heads are overstuffed with competing products, messaging, and narratives. It’s hard for a product alone to get a market edge.
The main exceptions are new tech or hyper-niche markets. ChatGPT, for example. But that is a rare instances of breakthrough technology where the “product” itself carries the bulk of the impact.
Most companies don't have that luxury and are not in such a position. So, if a product alone isn’t enough, then what is enough?
Enter position-market-fit.
• If “product-market-fit” means that you’ve found the right kind of product that the market wants…
• “Position-market-fit” means that you’ve found the right combination of product/brand/marketing/pricing/go-to-market/sales/etc in a given domain.
The Importance of Brain Estate
The fundamental reason why “position-market-fit” is so important is that it operates more at a personal and subconscious level. Our brains can only conceptualize a finite set of “characters'' per domain.
Similar to the "Dunbar number" rule, which suggests we can maintain stable social relationships with up to 150 people, our brains are wired to understand only a finite number of company-market associations.
Gaining a strong positional edge, or nailing “position-market-fit” is the exercise through which a company, with the right combination of product, brand, pricing, marketing and go-market is able to conquer a certain portion of consumer “brain-estate.”
The Story of Startup Success
If you step back and analyze some of the best startups from the last decade, you'll see they excelled at this.
→ Are you building in an established market dominated by large incumbents with feature-bloated, slow, and clunky software? In that case, you might want to position your product as a speed-first, high-craft, premium option, similar to a luxury car company. Does Linear ring a bell?
→ Alternatively, if you're entering a highly commoditized market dominated by a few corporate-looking brands, consider positioning yourself as the quirky, fun company that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Embrace the David vs. Goliath narrative with bold, edgy marketing and design. Does Arc Browser come to mind?
Their pricing strategies are almost a second-order effect of their employed market positioning.
And that’s the power of position-market fit.
Clearly it’s not folder structure - otherwise we would all copy and all be successful. Likely a symptom of leadership driving a sustainable and effective program to build knowledge
Move beyond Linkedin for your job hunting in Product and Tech.
Here are 8 alternatives to consider to get exciting roles, both remote and office-based:
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An important #FathersDay message from me…WEAR A HELMET ! This week I had a bad accident while riding my bike in CT. I'm doing ok and I’m thankful for all the doctors, nurses and staff at @LMHospital who looked after me but most thankful for my helmet that saved my life. Be Safe
@KiwiDenny I picked user empathy. In my experience - while you can have good communication skills, you really aren't a great communicator until you use the power of the user voice effectively.
@tavioto@carlvellotti Investments that only get lightly used/ monetized are the most expensive
Test for 10X ROI on investments
Plan budget for maintenance/ enhancement / innovation
Don't underinvest in innovation in fast-moving markets
@tavioto@carlvellotti First do they match your ideal customer profile - same size, maturity, industry, geo as ICP?
Second understand business intent - is there a more general problem to be addressed?
Third review future changes - are they leading a new market shift?
If no then explain why
Agree whole heartedly - but I think there's also a deploy and customer feedback loop that also feeds and informs selection and prioritization of new work