--- name: product-positioning model: opus description: Produces a reframed product positioning — a before/after statement that replaces a keep-or-kill decision with a complementary role for the product — plus a set of strategic routes that leverage that role. Use when: "should we deprecate X now that we have Y", "this feature feels redundant", "we can't decide whether to keep this product", "two things in our portfolio seem to overlap". category: scout-position inputs: - name: product_tension type: string description: The keep-or-kill decision or overlap tension to resolve through positioning required: true outputs: - name: positioning_document type: ref format: cas-ref description: Reframed product positioning with before/after statement and strategic routes leveraging the complementary role --- # Product Positioning Scout Skill **Version:** 1.1 **Created:** 2026-02-07 **Updated:** 2026-02-07 **Author:** Manus AI **Purpose:** To guide the process of reframing a binary product decision into a strategic product positioning opportunity by identifying the unique value of a product or feature. --- ## I. The Philosophy: Beyond the Binary The most common trap in product strategy is the binary choice: keep or kill, build or buy, deprecate or maintain. These choices are limiting because they assume the value of a product is fixed. The Product Positioning Scout operates on a different principle: **value is contextual**. This skill is about breaking free from the binary trap by asking a more powerful question: **"What is this uniquely good at?"** By identifying the unique context in which a product or feature shines, we can transform a "legacy" feature into a "premium" experience, a "redundant" product into a "complementary" one. **The core insight:** The reframe is the prize, not the initial answer. --- ## II. When to Use This Skill - When facing a decision about whether to keep or deprecate a feature or product - When a product or feature seems redundant or is underperforming - When planning a multi-surface product strategy (e.g., web, desktop, mobile) - At the beginning of a strategic planning cycle - Before using `/strategic-scout` to ensure the question is properly framed --- ## III. The Workflow This is a 5-step workflow for reframing a product decision. ### Step 1: Identify the Binary Trap **Goal:** Recognize when a strategic question is being framed as a simple, limiting binary choice. **Actions:** - Listen for questions like "Should we keep X or get rid of it?" - Notice when the conversation is focused on resource allocation rather than strategic value - Identify the implicit assumption that the product/feature has only one use case **Output:** A clear articulation of the binary trap **Example:** "Should we deprecate the web app now that we're building desktop?" --- ### Step 2: Introduce the Unlocking Question **Goal:** Reframe the conversation by asking a question that shatters the binary and opens up new possibilities. **Actions:** - Ask: **"What is this uniquely good at that the other thing isn't?"** - Shift the focus from "what to do with this" to "what is its unique value?" - Challenge the assumption that products must compete rather than complement **Output:** A reframed question that opens up new strategic possibilities **Example:** "What is the web app uniquely good at that desktop isn't?" → Discovery, onboarding, cross-platform access without installation --- ### Step 3: Explore the Unique Value **Goal:** Brainstorm the unique strengths and contexts of the product in question. **Actions:** - List the unique strengths of the product/feature - Identify the specific contexts (e.g., mobile, on-the-go, deep work) where those strengths are most valuable - Consider edge cases and niche use cases that might be surprisingly valuable **Output:** A comprehensive list of unique value propositions **Example for web app:** - No installation required - Cross-platform (works on any OS) - Easy to share via URL - Great for discovery and onboarding - Accessible from any device --- ### Step 4: Re-Scout with the New Lens **Goal:** Use the new understanding of unique value to re-scout the strategic options. **Actions:** - Use `/strategic-scout` with the new framing - Explore routes that leverage the unique value (e.g., Mobile-First PWA, Native Companion App) - Consider complementary positioning rather than competitive positioning **Output:** A set of strategic routes that leverage the unique value **Example routes:** - Route 1: Web as discovery, desktop as core product - Route 2: Web as free tier, desktop as premium - Route 3: Web for onboarding, desktop for power users - Route 4: Deprecate web, focus on desktop (original binary) --- ### Step 5: Synthesize and Propose New Positioning **Goal:** Synthesize the new routes into a coherent product strategy and positioning. **Actions:** - Select the best route (e.g., Hybrid - PWA Now, Native Later) - Define the new product positioning (e.g., Desktop for deep work, Mobile for on-the-go orchestration) - Propose a new timeline and pricing model - Document the strategic rationale **Output:** A complete product positioning strategy **Example:** "Desktop as core ($20/month), Mobile PWA as premium tier (separate subscription, 4-6 weeks after desktop v1)" --- ## IV. Best Practices ### 1. The Reframe is Everything **Why:** The most powerful strategic moves come from reframing the question, not from choosing between existing options. **How:** Always start by questioning the framing of the decision. Is it really a binary choice? --- ### 2. Value is Contextual **Why:** A product's value is not inherent; it's determined by the context in which it's used. **How:** For every product/feature, ask "In what context is this uniquely valuable?" --- ### 3. Complement, Don't Compete **Why:** The best multi-surface strategies create complementary experiences, not competing ones. **How:** Frame each surface by its unique job-to-be-done, not by its feature list. --- ### 4. The Unlocking Question is Universal **Why:** "What is this uniquely good at?" works for products, features, surfaces, and even people. **How:** Use this question whenever you're facing a binary decision about value. --- ### 5. Document the Reframe **Why:** The reframe is the most valuable artifact. It changes how everyone thinks about the product. **How:** Write down the before/after framing explicitly. Share it widely. --- ## V. Quality Checklist Before delivering the new strategy, ensure you can answer "yes" to all of the following questions: - [ ] Have you identified and articulated the initial binary trap? - [ ] Have you asked the "Unlocking Question" to reframe the conversation? - [ ] Have you clearly defined the unique value and context of the product/feature? - [ ] Have you used `/strategic-scout` to explore new routes based on the new framing? - [ ] Have you proposed a new, coherent product positioning, timeline, and business model? - [ ] Have you documented the strategic rationale for the new positioning? --- ## VI. Example: Dojo Genesis Web App Positioning **The Binary Trap:** "Should we deprecate the web app now that we're building desktop?" **The Unlocking Question:** "What is the web app uniquely good at that desktop isn't?" **The Unique Value:** - No installation required - Cross-platform access - Easy to share via URL - Great for discovery and onboarding - Accessible from any device **The Re-Scout:** Used `/strategic-scout` to explore 4 routes: 1. Deprecate web, focus on desktop 2. Web as companion (lightweight version) 3. Web as discovery/onboarding, desktop as core 4. Hybrid - PWA now, native later **The New Positioning:** - **Desktop:** Core product for deep work ($20/month) - **Mobile PWA:** Premium tier for on-the-go orchestration (separate subscription, 4-6 weeks after desktop v1) - **Web:** Free tier for discovery and onboarding **The Outcome:** Transformed a deprecation decision into a multi-surface strategy where each surface has a unique, complementary role. **Key Insight:** The web app wasn't redundant—it was uniquely good at discovery and onboarding. Desktop is uniquely good at deep work. Mobile is uniquely good at on-the-go orchestration. --- ## VII. Common Pitfalls to Avoid ### Pitfall 1: Accepting the Binary Without Question **Problem:** Most binary choices are false binaries. Accepting them limits strategic options. **Solution:** Always question the framing. Ask "Is this really a binary choice?" --- ### Pitfall 2: Focusing on Features Instead of Context **Problem:** Comparing feature lists leads to "X is redundant because Y has all its features." **Solution:** Focus on context of use, not feature parity. Ask "What is this uniquely good at?" --- ### Pitfall 3: Competitive Positioning by Default **Problem:** Assuming products must compete rather than complement. **Solution:** Explore complementary positioning first. Competition should be a last resort. --- ### Pitfall 4: Skipping the Re-Scout **Problem:** Reframing the question but not exploring new routes based on the reframe. **Solution:** Always use `/strategic-scout` after reframing to explore new possibilities. --- ### Pitfall 5: Not Documenting the Reframe **Problem:** The reframe gets lost in conversation. People revert to the binary. **Solution:** Write down the before/after framing explicitly. Make it a reference document. --- ## VIII. Related Skills - **`strategic-scout`** - Use this after reframing to explore new routes - **`iterative-scouting`** - Use this to refine the positioning based on feedback - **`multi-surface-strategy`** - Use this to design the complete multi-surface strategy - **`release-specification`** - Use this to write specs for the new positioning - **`strategic-to-tactical-workflow`** - Use this to move from positioning to implementation --- ## Output - Before/after framing document: the original binary question stated explicitly, then the reframed question and its implications - Unique value list: 3-7 specific strengths of the product tied to concrete usage contexts, not generic adjectives - Strategic routes: 3-5 routes that capitalize on the reframe, each with a one-line tradeoff summary - Recommended positioning: the selected route with pricing, timeline, and rationale ## Examples **Scenario 1:** "Should we deprecate our web app now that we have a desktop client?" → Reframe identifying the web app's unique strength (no install, shareable URL, cross-OS access) leads to a recommendation to keep the web app as the free-tier discovery and onboarding surface, with the desktop client as the paid power-user product. **Scenario 2:** "We have two note-taking features in our app — daily log and knowledge base. Should we cut one?" → Unique value analysis reveals daily log is optimized for speed and recency (quick capture, ephemeral) while knowledge base is optimized for retrieval and permanence. Reframe: they serve different moments in a user's day, not the same job. Recommendation: keep both, but make the entry points contextually distinct. ## Edge Cases - If the user is certain one product must be cut for financial or resource reasons, skip the reframe and go directly to Step 5 — help them position the remaining product more strongly rather than trying to save what is already decided. - If both products genuinely do the same job in the same context with no meaningful differentiation, the binary may not be false — document that finding honestly and recommend consolidation. - If the product in question is a third-party integration rather than an owned product, route to `strategic-scout` instead — positioning is only useful for things the team controls. ## Anti-Patterns - Generating a unique value list made of generic descriptors ("flexible", "powerful", "easy to use") — every item must be tied to a specific context of use where the product outperforms the alternative. - Reframing without running new strategic routes — a reframe that does not produce actionable routes is just a restatement of the problem in nicer language. - Concluding the session without documenting the before/after framing — the reframe is the primary deliverable and must be written down explicitly so it can be referenced later. - Treating reframing as a way to avoid hard cuts — if the unique value analysis produces nothing concrete, the honest output is "this product does not have a defensible niche." ## IX. Skill Metadata **Token Savings:** ~3,000-5,000 tokens per positioning session **Quality Impact:** Transforms binary decisions into strategic opportunities **Maintenance:** Update when new positioning patterns emerge **When to Update This Skill:** - After completing 3-5 positioning sessions (to incorporate new patterns) - When a new type of binary trap is discovered - When the unlocking question evolves or new variants emerge --- **Last Updated:** 2026-02-07 **Maintained By:** Manus AI **Status:** Active