Podcast Summary:
Positioning with April Dunford – “Decisions to Make Before a Positioning Exercise”
Host: April Dunford
Episode Date: January 22, 2026
Overview
In this episode, April Dunford, renowned positioning expert and author, kicks off a miniseries centered around key updates and evolved thinking behind the upcoming second edition of her essential book, “Obviously Awesome.” April explores the critical decisions companies need to make before embarking on a product positioning exercise, highlighting lessons and feedback gleaned from years of positioning workshops and consulting work. This episode is a guide for leaders, marketers, and entrepreneurs seeking clarity on when and how to start positioning, and what foundational choices must be clarified first.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introduction & Context for the Miniseries
[01:30]
- April shares her recent hiatus from podcasting due to working closely with clients and completing the new edition of her book, “Obviously Awesome.”
- Announces the launch of a podcast miniseries examining the most significant changes and new insights included in the second edition.
- Frames this episode as a deep dive into “decisions you need to make before a positioning exercise.”
Quote:
"For the most part, most of the things that have changed are things that I've changed my thinking about due to working with clients and also because I've gotten a lot of feedback on the book from readers." — April Dunford [03:40]
2. Structural Changes to April’s Positioning Methodology
[05:40]
- Feedback from readers (especially the “numbers people”) highlighted confusion over the original 10 steps vs. 5 core components.
- The second edition now presents “five steps, five components,” with preparatory work and post-exercise work clearly separated.
Quote:
"In the new version of the book, I decided to make a change... now there are five steps, five components. Oh my gosh. What happened to the other steps?" — April Dunford [06:30]
- The first three former steps are now classified as prep work—not steps in the core process.
3. The Most Critical Decisions to Make Before a Positioning Exercise
[08:45]
April distills all pre-positioning prep into two buckets:
- Decisions to Make
- Preparatory Work (To be discussed in the next episode)
A. Positioning Readiness Check: Are You Ready?
[09:30]
- If your product is brand new and not yet launched, any positioning is just a “positioning thesis”—an educated, but ultimately theoretical guess.
- April emphasizes the value of having a thesis, but warns: “We never get it right before launch.”
- Advice: Keep your positioning loose at launch to allow for market feedback and unexpected product-market fit revelations.
Quote:
“If your product is brand new and it hasn't been launched yet, what we would actually be doing is not positioning. What we would be doing is developing a positioning thesis because you haven't launched it yet. So you're just guessing... it's still a guess.” — April Dunford [00:08, restated and expanded around 09:45]
“We never got it right once… sometimes we were way off, sometimes we were kind of close, but we never got it perfectly right.” — April Dunford [13:40]
- For products entering a new market (but not the company’s first product): Thesis-driven positioning is again mostly theoretical; she recommends getting a few sales first, then tightening positioning.
B. Who Is Your Positioning For? Customers vs. Investors vs. Employees
[20:30]
- April’s methodology and “Obviously Awesome” is strictly about customer-facing positioning—not for investors, partners, or talent recruitment.
- Get internal alignment on the target audience for positioning; avoid mixing stories for distinct audiences.
Quote:
“If it's for investors, then I think other rules apply. And I think positioning for investors is a lot more about the future... Positioning for customers is really about right now.” — April Dunford [22:00]
C. Decide What You Are Positioning: Product, Company, or Suite?
[24:10]
- In single-product companies, product and company positioning are practically the same—no need to separate.
- For multiple-product companies:
- Decide whether you’re positioning a lead product, the suite/platform, or the company brand.
- This decision should be made before positioning work begins to avoid confusion and wasted effort.
Quote:
“If you're just a single product company, I would say, hey, you don't have to have separate company and product positioning. They're the same. I wouldn't add that extra burden…” — April Dunford [26:05]
- April references examples like Salesforce’s early strategy: land clients with one product, then cross-sell.
D. Deciding the Persona/Champion for Positioning
[32:20]
- After settling on what you are positioning, agree on the core target persona—specifically, the “champion” in complex B2B deals.
- Positioning must resonate with the champion (the key influencer), otherwise you “won’t even get on the shortlist.”
- Not every stakeholder is equally important at this stage; focus on winning the champion first.
Quote:
“Our positioning needs to really resonate for the champion. If it doesn't resonate for the champion, then we don't even get... past first base here, people.” — April Dunford [34:20]
- Acknowledge that sometimes there may be two champions (e.g., business vs. IT), and note this early to anticipate how value prop might straddle both.
4. Why These Decisions Matter
[41:20]
- These pre-exercise decisions shape who participates, how the process is framed, and the expectations set for the team.
- Failing to clarify what you’re positioning or for whom can cause internal conflict and stall progress.
Quote:
“These things are really important because they're going to influence who you decide to bring together for the positioning project itself, and it's also going to influence the way you frame the project for the team and how you set everybody's expectations.” — April Dunford [41:40]
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “I hope I never get an email again for as long as I live from somebody saying, hey, hey, man. There shouldn't be five components and 10 steps. Now there are five components and there are five steps.” — April [08:00]
- “If I tighten up the positioning too much... and I'm wrong about that, then I never really gave it a chance to be used by anybody else.” — April [15:45]
- “Everything is better. Your life is better. If you make this decision before you walk into the positioning exercise.” — April [31:10]
Important Timestamps
- [01:30] – Miniseries and new edition introduction
- [05:40] – Structural changes to positioning framework
- [09:30] – Positioning readiness check
- [20:30] – Who is your positioning for?
- [24:10] – What are you positioning: product, platform, company?
- [32:20] – Targeting the right persona/champion
- [41:20] – Why foundational decisions matter
Next Episode Preview
- April teases a deep dive into preparatory work: assembling the right team and other crucial steps before launching into the actual positioning process.
Summary Tone & Language
April speaks in a practical, candid, and often humorous tone, using anecdotes and direct audience address, full of actionable advice and gentle admonitions (“everything is better. Your life is better…”). The content is specific to high-growth tech, but accessible for all leaders exploring positioning.
For anyone beginning (or struggling with) positioning, this episode details the key foundational choices that set the stage for success in the rest of the process. It’s essential listening before drawing up positioning statements or bringing in consultants.