It's not what founders don't know that gets them in trouble.

It's what they think they know for sure that just isn't so.

There is nothing more dangerous than a founder who "thinks" they're doing everything right.

They think they have product market fit.

↳ but they don’t.

Every prospect is a special snowflake that requires a custom demo, white-glove onboarding, and a dedicated CSM.

They think they’re ready to scale.

↳ but they’re not.

They're only chasing more markets because they struggle to win their ideal customer segment.

They think they have strong differentiation.

↳ but they don’t.

If you removed the logos, customers wouldn't be able to tell they were in a different product.

They think they’re targeted in their marketing.

↳ but they’re not.

Their homepage says they're for "SMBs, enterprises, and everyone in between"

This isn't stupidity.

It's confirmation bias. (Katelyn Bourgoin 🧠, check me on this bias label 😉)

And its the silent killer of good companies.

I see it every week.

We challenge founders on these key questions, and despite very weak answers, they convince themselves they are doing everything right. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Sometimes we can bring these founders back down to earth, but often we can't.

And off they go... executing a grand positioning strategy rooted in a false reality.

This is the big misconception about positioning work.

Many people think it's about strategies and tactics.

But it's really about being brutally honest.

About seeing your business exactly as it is — not as you wish it were.

Clarity on the market you're actually in.

Clarity on who your actually competing with.

Clarity on what your product actually does better.

Clarity on the limitations of your resources.

Because only when founders see reality clearly, can they make decisions that actually work in the real world.