tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8840979806248747743.post6699953151966383151..comments2008-10-12T20:48:19.370-07:00Roy Lebannoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8840979806248747743.post-14312873743670505632008-10-12T20:48:00.000-07:002008-10-12T20:48:00.000-07:00@Mike You've made a number of excellent points. Thanks!Roy Lebanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08749140682886637193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8840979806248747743.post-36991559217734206222008-10-12T13:33:00.000-07:002008-10-12T13:33:00.000-07:00I'm glad you posted your XYZ statement even though it remains a work in progress. I hope you don't mind some feedback on how to improve it.<BR/><BR/>I think there are at least two distinct audiences for an XYZ statement - your customers, and yourself. For your customers, the XYZ statement should inform your <I>positioning statement</I> and form the basis for your marketing. For yourself, you want to have some grounding in what makes your product unique and valuable to help in making decisions during development.<BR/><BR/>You want to position your product to be both <I>unique</I> (differentiated) and <I>exiting</I>. You also have to be specific enough that people get what your product does. Your XYX doesn't accomplish these goals well, yet.<BR/><BR/>X = "a tool". That's about the most non-commital product category possible. Even if it's a simplification of what your whole product does, I think it much better to put your stake in the ground and call your product a "task list", "outliner", etc. It's also important to find SOMETHING your future users can relate it to (despite how unique you may think it to be).<BR/><BR/>I think your "Y" would be stronger by removing "individuals". We know that you want to make it simple even for people working alone to use it - but you'll be better off putting a stake in the ground about who will MOST benefit from your product.<BR/><BR/>Z = "organize their work" is also pretty vague and undifferentiated. You should use your "Z" to answer the question - What makes my "X" truly unique?<BR/><BR/>Maybe it has the most intuitive user interface, or best enables casual sharing between people. If the X and Y define what and who this product is for, "Z" has to be the workhorse that will "sell" your product.Mike Kosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16991627140888922439noreply@blogger.com