CATEGORY POSITIONING & NARRATIVE
Make it easier for the market to understand why you should win.
When a company moves faster than the market’s understanding of it, growth becomes harder than it needs to be. Buyers struggle to place the product. Teams explain the business differently. Investors hear a different story in every room.
I work with founders and leadership teams to resolve the upstream decisions: which category to compete in, what makes the offer distinct, which proof earns belief and how the story holds across product, commercial teams and capital markets.
When this work is useful
- You’re approaching a funding round and your market position does not yet match the ambition.
- Your company now serves more products, customers or markets than its original story can accommodate.
- Enterprise conversations keep starting with an explanation of what you do instead of a discussion about the customer’s problem.
- Your leadership team agrees on the ambition but not the commercial story.
The decisions we make
Category. Define the market frame that makes the product understood, relevant and distinctive.
Narrative. Build a buyer-led story that connects the customer problem, commercial outcome and credible evidence.
Architecture. Clarify how the company, platform, products and offers relate so the story can scale.
Activation. Give the leadership, sales and marketing teams a common direction they can actually use.
What your team leaves with
We agree what the business is trying to win and why a buyer should care. The exact outputs depend on scope, but the work is designed to leave these tools in your team’s hands.
- A clear category thesis, competitive frame and buyer decision map.
- A commercial narrative and message hierarchy supported by evidence you can substantiate.
- Guidelines for company, product and offer architecture so the message scales.
- A prioritised activation plan for the website, sales conversations, launches and investor discussions.
The test is straightforward: the CEO, sales leader and marketing leader can explain the same opportunity in language a buyer understands.
The working model
Most engagements begin as a four to eight week advisory project, working directly with the CEO and relevant commercial leaders. The output is not a decorative messaging exercise. It is a clear set of commercial decisions, a narrative system, proof priorities and an activation plan for your own team.
My perspective is shaped by operating leadership across Harrison.ai and Heidi Health, alongside major media and brand launches. Previous company milestones and outcomes belong to those companies; the work here is independent strategic advisory.
See the work behind the thinking ยท Read: Why most AI companies have a category problem
Frequently asked questions
Is this a replacement for our CMO or agency?
No. I work alongside the leadership and execution teams on the decisions that should guide their work.
Can this support a capital raise?
Yes, where investor narrative, category position and commercial proof need to work together. This is strategic communication, not fundraising advice.
Do we need a fixed project?
The first conversation determines whether a focused project or ongoing advisory relationship makes more sense.