The Dave Gerhardt Show: How to Master B2B Positioning with Anthony Pierri (Fletch PMM)

Date: January 22, 2026
Host: Dave Gerhardt (Exit Five)
Guest: Anthony Pierri (Fletch PMM)

Episode Overview

In this top-rated, tactical episode, Dave Gerhardt invites Anthony Pierri—co-founder of Fletch PMM and a leading expert in B2B SaaS positioning—to break down the nuts and bolts of nailing website messaging and positioning. Anthony shares the frameworks, philosophy, and hands-on advice he's honed across 100+ startup engagements, focusing on how early-stage companies should clarify their value proposition, choose the right messaging focus, and avoid common pitfalls—especially the dreaded “vague benefit” homepage. The conversation is candid, insightful, and packed with real-world examples and actionable takeaways.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Anthony and Fletch PMM ([04:55])

• Anthony’s Background:
  • Co-founder of Fletch PMM, a two-person product marketing consultancy focused exclusively on early-stage B2B SaaS website messaging and positioning.
  • Works directly with founders/marketing leads to clarify messaging for horizontal (multi-use-case) products.
• Iterative Approach:
  • Each client engagement is a chance to refine Fletch’s proprietary framework.
  • Proximity to the client (“in the trenches”) leads to sharpened, repeatable processes over time.

“We treat the framework like it’s a product and every chance with a company is another chance to iterate on it.” —Anthony Pierri (05:39)

The Power of Hyper-Focused Positioning ([07:19], [10:35], [13:58])

• Niche Focus:
  • Target clients are seed to Series A SaaS companies (“usually the founder or the head of marketing is struggling”).
  • Fletch focuses only on the website as the key battleground for messaging—eschewing long-form positioning docs for tangible homepage copy.
• Pricing & Scope:
  • Lower price, quick-turn engagements (~2 weeks), by excluding customer interviews/research (handled by the client).
  • Anthony positions research as primarily the founder's responsibility: Fletch’s value is in extracting, structuring, and sharpening—not learning the customer from scratch.

“This project is really only going to be as valuable as the time that you’ve already spent with your customers.” —Anthony Pierri (12:52)

The LinkedIn Playbook: Specialize to Win ([21:34])

• LinkedIn Strategy:
  • Anthony’s rapid following growth (now 77K+) is driven by relentlessly tactical, narrowly focused LinkedIn content on B2B SaaS positioning and messaging.
  • Reflects a broader lesson for solopreneurs: choose a niche “uncomfortably small”—that's where fastest traction occurs.

“Find something very, very small that feels uncomfortably small, because that’s usually where you’re going to make the most traction.” —Anthony Pierri (21:38)

• Inbound-Only Sales:
  • Best-fit clients arrive already “indoctrinated” by his content, leading to more successful partnerships and less need for pitching.

The Fletch Framework Decoded ([23:57], [27:11])

Glossary & Structure

• Challenge: Industry jargon is imprecise—terms like “feature,” “benefit,” and “value” are poorly defined.
• Fletch’s Messaging Building Blocks:
  • Market Side:
    • Company type
    • Persona/Champion (main decision driver/person most interested in the deal)
    • Situation (what are they trying to do? Task or desired outcome, akin to “job to be done”)
    • Current way (existing tools, processes)
    • Problems (why current way stinks)
  • Product Side:
    • Feature (the technical, “what is it”)
    • Capability (the “what do I do with it?” — often missing)
    • Benefit (the outcome or “why does it matter?” — usually, the inverse of the problem)
    • Product Category (sometimes, differentiation/sub-category is critical)
• Positioning Statement Example:
  • "We’re the [product category] for [customer type or situation] that helps [do X] so you can [outcome/benefit]."

“The feature is like the technical aspect... the capability is what do I do with it... the benefit is why would that matter?” —Anthony Pierri (29:23)

Differentiation: Context > Competition in Early Stages ([32:29])

• Contextual Differentiation:
  • Early-stage positioning should focus on “when would I use this?” not “why are we better than X.”
  • Example: Calendly didn’t compete with a scheduling tool—it redefined the whole workflow.
• Competitive Differentiation:
  • Becomes more relevant in mature categories (e.g., browsers) where company must answer “why us over [competitor].”
• Finding a Unique Angle:
  • Even when the product’s undifferentiated, unique services or narrow focus (“done for you,” “only for solo founders,” etc.) can set you apart.

Most Common Positioning & Messaging Mistakes ([36:18])

• Over-Indexing on Benefits:
  • “Buyers don’t care about features, just outcomes” is misapplied dogma.
  • Early-stage SaaS often leads with vague, “benefit-only” messaging (e.g., “Connect everything, achieve anything”) that fails to answer “when would I use this?”
  • Outcomes matter, but context and capabilities are crucial to clarity.

“99%... are just talking about outcomes. And the question that you want to ask in the early days... is when would I use this? And talking about outcomes does not answer that question.” —Anthony Pierri (37:37)

• Vague, Politicized Enterprise Messaging:
  • Large companies slide into generic (“grow faster with [X]”/“grow better with [Y]”) slogans due to internal politics—don’t copy them if you’re a startup!

Real-World Messaging Examples ([38:45]–[43:14])

• Examples of ineffective headlines:
  • “Product growth unlocked. Activate more users, increase feature adoption and drive expansion revenue.”
  • “Great teamwork starts with a digital HQ.” (Slack’s newer messaging)
  • “Connect everything, achieve anything.”
  • “One platform to connect.”
  • “Grow faster with Salesforce.” vs. “Grow better with HubSpot.”
• Contrast with clarity:
  • Zoom: “Use Zoom for video conference rooms in your phone.”
  • Old Slack: “Slack replaces email inside of your company.”
  • Stripe: “Accept payments, send payouts, automate financial processes.” (clear use cases right on the homepage)

Homepage Headline & Practical Advice ([44:02]–[50:21])

• Homepage Hero Section:
  • Should always combine at least one element from the market and one from the product (“CRM for small business”; “Book meetings online without emails”).
• Minimum Viable Positioning:
  • If the headline is clever, the subhead better be clear.
  • The goal is to get the visitor scrolling or reading, not explaining everything in one sentence.

“Clear is usually better than clever. If you have to prioritize one over the other, you should try to be clear first and the cleverness will come later.” —Anthony Pierri (48:49)

• Holistic Messaging:
  • Companies like Loom did it right: make the “enemy” obvious (“Meetings off, Loom on”), then explain how and why as the visitor progresses.
• Early-Stage Imperative:
  • You don’t have the luxury of brand equity—be explicit about what you do, for whom, and why it matters.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We treat the framework like it’s a product and every chance we work with a company is another chance to iterate on it.” (Anthony, 05:39)
• “If you can get in the hero... the main use cases or the main capabilities that your product can do, when you would actually use it, how you would use it... it’s going to make you exponentially more likely to have people keep scrolling to see the rest.” (Anthony, 49:32)
• “Clear beats clever every day of the week.” (Dave, 02:29)
• “If you go clever, make sure everyone instantly gets it. Test the joke before you publish the joke.” (Dave, 49:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:55: Anthony’s intro & Fletch PMM’s focus
• 07:19–13:49: Defining the niche and scoping services for early-stage SaaS
• 21:34–22:48: The value of narrow specialization on LinkedIn and inbound sales
• 23:57–29:23: Detailed breakdown of Fletch’s positioning/messaging framework
• 32:29–36:18: Differentiation in early vs. mature markets
• 36:30–43:14: Most common messaging mistakes; effective vs. ineffective homepage headlines
• 44:02–50:21: Clear vs. clever homepage messaging, practical tips for writing headlines

Summary Takeaways

• Early-stage SaaS positioning is about clarity and context, not cleverness or competing on vague benefits.
• Homepage messaging should marry one key market element (audience/use case/problem) with one product element (category/capability), all in simple language.
• Don’t rely on a generic “benefit-only” formula—show specifically when, how, and why your product is used.
• Niche focus delivers outsized results in both positioning projects and marketing your own consultancy.
• Clear beats clever, always—get clever only when you’re sure everyone gets the joke.

Recommended Action:
Follow Anthony Pierri on LinkedIn for more hands-on positioning and messaging insights straight from the trenches: “If you want to get smarter about positioning and messaging, if you’re a B2B startup, great person to follow.” —Dave Gerhardt (50:21)