The Geoffrey Moore Positioning Template

Why this matters

The Moore template forces you to commit to a target customer, a need, a category, a key benefit, and a differentiator in one sentence — its value is not the output sentence but the discipline of filling in every blank without fudging. Gaps in the template reveal gaps in your strategic thinking.

Try it yourself

1. Fill in the Moore template for your product: 'For [target customer] who [need], [product name] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [competitor], we [differentiator].' — read it aloud and mark any blank you hedged with a vague word.
2. Swap your [category] to two alternatives (e.g., move from 'project management tool' to 'async collaboration platform') and observe how the rest of the sentence changes — note which version has the clearest differentiator.
3. Give the completed template to someone unfamiliar with your product and ask them to name one thing they would expect the product to NOT do based on the statement — any surprising answer reveals a framing problem.

Prompt your AI

Use these three in order. Each builds on the one before.

1. Basics & terminology

In one paragraph, explain the Geoffrey Moore positioning template and what each component is designed to force you to decide.

2. Why it works (the mechanism)

Walk me through how a team would fill in the Moore template for a new developer tool — what data and decisions does each blank require?

3. Advanced — application & what's next

Given two completed Moore-template positioning statements for the same product targeting different customer segments, explain how you would evaluate which one to lead with and what you would test.

References

• Geoffrey Moore — Crossing the Chasm (positioning framework)