Name the positioning type
Classify the product as category creator, differentiator, niche specialist, or disruptor. This single decision changes everything downstream.
Start here — without this, the rest is guessing
Match depth to complexity
Simple, instant-value products do not need heavy pre-sales content. Complex products usually do — buyers have harder questions before they can commit.
Complexity sets the content weight floor
Match audience to activation
End user, champion, technical buyer, and committee buyer each read different content before purchase. Map audience targeting to the real activation path — not the one the team wishes existed.
Activation pattern names the true audience
Define success by buying progress
Category-creation content is good when it sharpens market understanding. Comparison pages succeed when they help evaluators decide. Technical guides succeed when they reduce adoption friction.
Output volume is not a success condition