Here’s a 10-step playbook I built from Obviously Awesome
Fun_Ostrich_5521 If your SaaS isn’t growing—it’s probably a positioning problem (not marketing). Here’s a 10-step playbook I built from Obviously Awesome
I just finished Obviously Awesome by April Dunford and wow—this book totally reframed how I think about SaaS marketing. TL;DR: If your product isn’t growing, the issue probably isn’t your marketing… it’s your positioning.
To help others apply it, I’ve created a visual 10-step playbook and shared it below. Hope it helps!
🎯 Your Marketing Isn’t Broken—Your Positioning Is
Your product might be great—but if it’s not ‘obviously awesome,’ it won’t sell.
→ Why positioning is the real unlock in SaaS.
Let’s talk about Superhuman.
When it launched, it wasn’t just another email client.
It was the fastest email experience ever made. It wasn’t competing with Gmail—it was built for people who live in their inbox: founders, execs, power users.
Same category. Same base functionality. But a different position.
Instead of fighting over the same turf, Superhuman created a new frame:
Speed + Productivity + Premium feel → $30/month email that felt luxurious.
It wasn’t about features. It was about context.
And that’s what April Dunford’s book 📕 Obviously Awesome calls Positioning.
❌ Not what you do — ✅ but how people understand what you do.
❌ Not who you compete with — ✅ but who they think you compete with.
❌ Not what you built — ✅ but why it matters to the right people.
Now ask yourself:
👉 Are your ideal customers immediately getting what makes your product different?
👉 Are they comparing you to the wrong alternatives?
👉 Are you stuck explaining over and over again what you actually do?
Then you don’t need better marketing.
You need better positioning.
➡️➡️ Here’s What You’ll Learn from Obviously Awesome 👇
The 5 + 1 Key Components of Powerful Positioning
Master these essential elements:
➡️ Competitive Alternatives
➡️ Unique Attributes
➡️ Value
➡️ Target Market
➡️ Market Category
➕ Bonus: 🎯 Relevant Trends
Use them to craft a strategy that deeply resonates with your best-fit customers.
Discover Your Product’s “Real” Competition
It’s not always who you think. Understand what your audience would use if your product didn’t exist—and use that to highlight your unique value.
Why the Right Market Frame Changes Everything
The category you choose sets expectations. Pick the one that plays to your strengths and eliminates confusion.
🎯 Here’s the 10-Step Positioning Playbook I created based on the book (Diagram).
If your SaaS isn’t growing like it should, the issue likely isn’t sales or growth hacks—it’s how you’re framing your product.
Would love feedback on the playbook—or hear how others here have fixed positioning in your own startup journey.
#SaaSMarketing #ProductPositioning #ObviouslyAwesome
Book Review
Happiest Customers
Positioning Team
Let Go Old Assumptions
Competitive Alternatives
Unique Attributes
Mapping
You Care
Best Market Frame
Relevant Trend