Positioning statement examples and template for B2B startups

A positioning statement is a two to three sentence internal statement of who your product is for, what it is, the value it delivers, and why it beats the alternatives. It isn't a tagline and it usually isn't published. It's the reference your team uses so your website, sales decks and launch copy all tell the same story.

Below is a fill-in template, three examples broken down line by line, and the mistakes I see most often in startup positioning.

The positioning statement template

The most widely used format comes from Geoffrey Moore's book Crossing the Chasm:

For [target customer] who [need or problem], [product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [main alternative], we [primary differentiator].

Fill each blank with something specific enough that a competitor couldn't copy it word for word.

• Target customer: a role and a situation, not "businesses".
• Need: the problem they feel today, in their words.
• Category: the market box a buyer would put you in. Pick the one that makes your strengths obvious.
• Key benefit: the outcome, not the feature list.
• Alternative: what they would do if you didn't exist. That's often a spreadsheet or an internal team, not a competitor.
• Differentiator: the thing you do that the alternative can't.

Three positioning statement examples

These are illustrative examples. The first two are made-up companies so you can see the structure without a real brand getting in the way. The third is my own.

Example 1: a revenue data platform

For RevOps leaders at mid-market SaaS companies who are stuck reconciling pipeline numbers across five tools, Pipelane is a revenue data platform that gives you one forecast number you can defend. Unlike BI dashboards that need an analyst to maintain them, Pipelane keeps its own pipeline models up to date.

• Target: RevOps leaders, at a specific company size, in a specific situation.
• Need: a real pain in plain words (five tools, no single number).
• Category: "revenue data platform", chosen on purpose over "dashboard".
• Alternative: BI dashboards, which is what the buyer would otherwise use.

Example 2: an AI testing tool

For engineering teams shipping LLM features who can't tell whether a prompt change made things better or worse, Evalry is a testing platform that scores every change against real production traces. Unlike general observability tools, it tells you what to fix, not just what broke.

• Differentiator: "what to fix, not just what broke" is a clear, testable promise.
• Why it works: the need is something the buyer would say out loud.

Example 3: a positioning and messaging studio

For B2B tech startups whose product is stronger than their story, Laurel Leaf is a positioning and messaging studio that turns your market insight into a story your whole team can use. Unlike agencies that start with the website, we start with the point of view.

• Differentiator: the order of work (point of view first, website second) is the difference.

How to write your positioning statement, step by step

1. Pick one customer. If you list three, you have three statements. Start with the one who buys fastest.
2. List the real alternatives. Ask recent customers what they used before you. Their answers are your competitors.
3. Name what you do that those alternatives can't. Be honest. If the answer is "nothing", you have a product problem, not a messaging problem.
4. Choose the category that makes that difference obvious.
5. Write the outcome the customer cares about. One sentence, no jargon.
6. Fill the template, then cut. Remove every word a competitor could also say.
7. Test it. Read it to three customers and ask what they'd call the product. If they say something different, listen to them.

The mistakes that make positioning statements useless

• Everyone is the customer. "For businesses that want to grow" describes nobody.
• A feature list instead of a benefit. Features support the benefit. They aren't it.
• No real alternative. If you say you have no competitors, buyers hear that you haven't looked.
• Buzzwords. "Innovative", "end-to-end" and "AI-powered" don't help anyone choose.
• Treating it as copy. The statement is for your team. Customer-facing language comes after.

Where the positioning statement fits

The statement sets the strategy. A messaging framework turns it into the key messages, proof points and language your team uses across channels. If you want a deeper look at why a point of view matters more than a feature list, read my post on startup positioning.

If you'd like help getting this right, that's what my positioning and messaging work is for.

Frequently asked questions