Too often, we get the order of operations wrong.

You might have the best, most marketable idea or product in the world, but if you can’t convince others to buy it, the idea is doomed to failure.

Product companies often think about messaging and core product positioning as an afterthought, but truth be told, messaging, positioning and competitive analysis is as fundamental to success as the product itself.

A mistake that even smart entrepreneurs can make is to assume the their partners, customers, investors and employees are as knowledgeable as they are. This is seldom the case of course. Founders of companies have generally immersed themselves in a problem space for years, and have a clear mental model of the market need, and how their product fits that need. They forget that those who they are pitching their ideas to are often hearing this for the first time, and may come from a very different background and have a different frame of reference.

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter – Mark Twain

 

Building a strong foundation around product branding, positioning and messaging is as important as building the product itself – often more important. Companies built on messaging “sand” are doomed to fail. Building a successful company, especially at the early stages is all about convincing stakeholders that you have a good idea.  At this stage you don’t have dozens of reference-able customers.  This is the stage in your companies at which your sales pitch and messaging needs to be absolutely compelling. If you think about building your product because you sell investors and partners, you probably have the order of operations wrong. If you can establish and refine a “golden pitch” that resonates with investors, clients and employees alike, everything becomes easier.