2. Identify Contrarian POV of Category

What is the major PROBLEM, trade off or compromise in CATEGORY that you are addressing? 

Describe the specific problem, trade off or compromise you are addressing in the overall category?

What is your NOVEL INSIGHT into the CATEGORY PROBLEM? 

What’s your fresh take on the category problem?

Based on: 

• Your view on the root causes of the problem? 

• Your assessment of these causes?

• Your understanding of the customer & market segments most affected by it?

How does your NOVEL INSIGHT solve this category problem?

Describe your new way of solving the problem based on novel insight ? How does it work?

What is your Product Offering that solves the problem?

How is your approach DIFFERENT from other current approaches

What’s different and unique to your approach? Is it a technology, a method, a framework, an insight, an economic model or combination of these?

How does your Product Offering incorporate this? [Product Magic / Phenomena] 

How is the customer OUTCOME different based on your insight to the category problem?

Focus on the biggest difference on the value, from customer perspective

Contrarian POV of Category

Sentence Prompts

1. The category [name X] has this [problem/tradeoff/compromise] today, especially in [customer segments 1 and 2]

2. We believe in this [novel insight] that will address this problem.

3. We think that Product X solves this [problem/tradeoff/compromise] in a [different way], based on this insight.

4. This different way is made available in our product’s [Unique insight / Product Magic]

5. Because of our different way, customers solve the [problem/tradeoff/compromise] with this different [OUTCOME] 

EXAMPLE

The CRM category has become complex to user and expensive to maintain today, especially for the small businesses who are price sensitive and don’t have IT resources

We believe a simpler and cheaper CRM software product will be easier to use and maintain.   

We think that Freshworks [here] solves this complexity and customization problem with a new approach to UX simplicity.

This UX simplicity is based on our self service UX framework that is easy to understand and easy to customize. 

Because of our different approach, small businesses can use and run CRM applications with lower cost of ownership.