Monica sent me her positioning statement three hours after my last email.
"I help burned-out teachers land corporate jobs better than generic career coaches or suffering in silence."
Then she asked, "Is this good enough?"
I hear this question every single day. Not just from Monica. From everyone who finally writes their positioning.
They know it's important. They filled in the framework. But now they're stuck on a different question: "How do I know if this is actually good?"
Most people trust their gut.
That's a mistake.
Your gut has no idea if your positioning will work. Your gut just knows if it feels scary to share it.
This validation scorecard is the easiest way for uncertain founders to test their brand without launching first.
Let me show you the four tests I gave to Monica.
Every positioning statement needs to pass these four tests.
Not "close enough." All four.
Test 1: The Specificity Test.
Can you describe your WHO in detail?
Bad: "Entrepreneurs" Bad: "People who want success" Good: "Burned-out teachers"
Monica's WHO: Burned-out teachers. Clear. Specific. You can picture them.
Score: 9/10.
Test 2: The Transformation Test.
Is your WHAT an outcome or just a feature?
Bad: "I help people with resumes" (feature) Bad: "I help people find jobs" (vague outcome) Good: "Land corporate jobs" (clear outcome)
Monica's WHAT: Land corporate jobs. Not "career transition support." Landing jobs.
Score: 9/10.
Test 3: The Alternative Test.
Does your ALTERNATIVE actually exist?
Bad: "Better than nothing" (no real alternative means maybe no real problem) Bad: "Better than competitors" (too vague) Good: "Better than generic career coaches or suffering in silence"
Monica's ALTERNATIVE: Generic career coaches (exists, people know it) or suffering in silence (what teachers currently do).
Score: 10/10.
Test 4: The Enemy Test.
Can you name what you're fighting against?
Not competitors. A villain. Something your audience hates.
Monica's enemy: Generic career advice that doesn't understand teachers. The belief that leaving teaching means failure.
Score: 8/10.
Total: 36/40.
I told her: "This is strong enough to launch."
She did. Two days later. Website went live. First client booked within a week.
Not because her positioning was perfect. Because it was strong enough.
Here's what happens when positioning fails these tests:
Under 25 points: Go back to yesterday's framework. Your positioning needs work.
25-34 points: Close. Fix the weakest area before moving forward.
35-40 points: Strong enough to launch. Stop tweaking. Start building.
Your turn.
Pull up the positioning statement you wrote yesterday. If you didn't write one, go back and do it now. This test only works if you have something to test.
Grade yourself on each test (0-10 points each):
Specificity: Can I describe WHO with 3+ details?
Transformation: Is WHAT an outcome, not a feature?
Alternative: Does ALTERNATIVE really exist and do people know it?
Enemy: Can I name what I'm fighting against?
Total: ___ / 40 points
Be honest. Monica scored 36 and launched. You don't need 40. You need 35+.
If you scored under 35, refine. Don't move forward until you pass. This is your foundation. Everything builds on this.
If you scored 35+, congratulations. You're ready. Stop tweaking. Start building.
Tomorrow, Brand Foundation Sprint registration closes. This scorecard is Day 3 of the course.
But you already have it.
Days 4-7 teach you: How to translate positioning into visual identity. What to brand first (and what to ignore). How to test if it's working. What to do for the next 90 days.
Reply with your score. I want to know how you did.
If you scored 35+, tell me what you're launching. I want to celebrate with you.
More tomorrow.
— Shashank