Narrative. Positioning. Brand.

Positioning Playbook

The epic practitioner's guide to narrative & positioning for B2B SaaS

Some ideas are so powerful and so deep they deserve a book to match.Positioning Playbook is my attempt at just that: a complete and highly practical take on the new science of attention for B2B sales narratives & positioning for product marketers. (Just want a quick introduction? Start with Founder Vision.)

In Positioning Playbook you will:

  • Discover the modern split-brain theory of attention: The theory from Dr Iain McGilchrist that underpins this book will change how you see positioning, selling, narratives, product leadership, and strategy.
  • Create your own sales narrative: Discover my 10-slide approach to B2B sales narratives and use it as inspiration for your own pitch.
  • Get a new perspective on positioning: The Playbook is the most comprehensive book on B2B positioning strategies from SMB to enterprise and early-stage niche sales to late-stage brand reach and category creation.

If you just get one valuable idea out of Positioning Playbook, it's a steal. Read a free preview or buy it now:

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Positioning Playbook book cover

What's inside?

  • 600+ pages of theory and practice on B2B SaaS narrative & positioning.
  • 50 chapters in 10 parts: I've meticulously organized Positioning Playbook so you can use it as a reference for years to come.
  • Case studies, frameworks, & more: Loads of practical tips and B2B SaaS case studies to learn from.

Who's it for?

  • Marketers, especially Product Marketers & CMOs who want to accelerate their careers by leveraging new fundamentals.
  • Founders who want a true foundation for their narrative and positioning that will underpin all GTM efforts.
  • Investors who want to know how category creation actually works.

Why read it?

  • You care about impact and aren't intimidated by a book you can sink your teeth into.
  • You're sick of the fads and want real foundational ideas you can build your business on.
  • You're an early adopter and care about new ideas — after all, sometimes it's just fun to better understand how business — and the world — actually works.

Here's what you'll learn

Kickstart your growth by understanding how the "market" in "product/market fit" works. You’ll learn:

  • The theory of attention that changes everything.
  • The two stories every startup needs (story 1/story 2).
  • My 10-slide narrative snapshot deck (with explanations).
  • 3 alternate ways to pitch, from C-suite to end users.
  • How messaging really works (checklist included).
  • How category creation really works (secular change).
  • How Jobs to be Done really works (5 different fits).
  • How B2B GTM works — ‘cast & catch’ vs. ‘segment & sell.’
  • How B2SMB brand positioning works.
  • How B2B positioning for enterprise works.
  • How competition works (uniqueness & Porter vs. Hotelling).

I wrote Positioning Playbook to be as friendly, accessible, and easy to read as possible. The result is 600+ pages of insights with plenty of B2B SaaS examples, tips, and theory that'll give you the grounding in the fundamentals you've been missing.

Download the TOC + intro (free PDF)

Read a book.
Change your world.

Read Positioning Playbook and you'll be in the top 1% of narrative & positioning pros in B2B SaaS.

Here's the full table of contents, straight from the epub.

Positioning Playbook's table of contents - 1 Positioning Playbook's table of contents - 2

Outcomes

Take action by:

  • Launching your clarity strategy.
  • Creating an attention-tailored sales narrative.
  • Writing a micro-pitch.
  • Understanding your 5W1H origin story.
  • Knowing when 'strategic narratives' work & when they don't.
  • Picking the right positioning for the right stage of growth.
  • Understanding the fundamentals of competitive strategy.

Case studies

Learn about the success of:

  • SaaS legends like Segment, Slack, & Stripe.
  • Category creators Gainsight, Yammer, & Qualtrics.
  • CRM winners Salesforce, HubSpot, & Drift.
  • B2SMB brands Squarespace, Patreon & Notion.
  • Enterprise SaaS UiPath & Whatfix.
  • Early stage Dock & ConvertKit.
  • And more like Figma, Goldcast, & Pebble.

Concepts

Get the fundamentals on:

  • The hierarchy of attention.
  • Right-brain narrative.
  • Left-brain positioning.
  • Memes, metaphors, & messaging.
  • Pitching the C-suite & end users.
  • Vision, insight, & your attention.
  • 3 different types of category creation.
  • 3 different flavors of Jobs to be Done.
  • Positioning and your GTM motion.
  • Competitive strategy.

Get the book.

Level up your startup and career:

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And be sure to let me know what you think!