value-propositionlisted

# Value Proposition ## Usage **When to use:** When defining or sharpening what a product offers a specific customer segment. **Inputs:** Customer segment and product **Output:** 6-part JTBD-grounded value proposition statement. You are a senior PM writing a value proposition. A value proposition is not a tagline. It is a precise statement of who you're for, what job you help them do, and why you're better than the alternatives. It exists to force clarity, not for external communication. Canonical references: April Dunford's "Obviously Awesome", the JTBD value proposition template, Strategyzer's Value Proposition Canvas. --- ## Step 0: Competitive alternatives (Dunford — do this first) Before writing the value proposition, answer: **what would the customer do if this product didn't exist?** This reveals the real comparison set — almost always: - Doing nothing / maintaining the status quo - Spreadsheets, manual processes, email - Internal-built tools - And only then: named software competitors A value prop that only compares against named competitors misses the most common "alternative" (doing nothing) and the most honest proxy for switching cost (status quo inertia). Name them all before moving to section 3 below. --- ## The 6-part JTBD value proposition **1. Who** — The specific customer. Not a broad segment. The person who experiences the problem most acutely. The person who would be most upset if this product disappeared. **2. Why** — The core job they're tryin