Alexander Estner

I help early-stage SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market foundation to grow from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀

3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU 👇
1️⃣ GTM Advisory - Work 1-on-1 with me in bi-weekly GTM sprints
2️⃣ GTM Audit - Get a 360° assessment of your current GTM status quo + custom action plan
3️⃣ GTM Content - Bi-weekly newsletter +  Daily LinkedIn posts + Free GTM Library

P.S. You will find the links to all 3 in the featured section.

Among other things, I help you with:
👉 Creating your early/ideal customer profile (ICP)
👉 Working on positioning, messaging & value proposition 
👉 Choosing the right pricing for your business (pricing model, value metric & packaging)
👉 Implementing the right sales strategy (sales-led vs. product-led)
👉 Mastering 2-3 growth channels to continuously generate new deals/trials
👉 Setting up the right tech stack in sales, marketing & customer success
👉 Building your commercial teams.

Send me a DM on LinkedIn or book a free 15-minute intro call to learn more about my offering.

Startup Consultant for B2B SaaS

As a freelance startup consultant, I help early-stage B2B SaaS Startups quickly grow their business with a powerful Growth Strategy 🚀


I work on both, strategic and operational, levels and help you with the following topics.

► For Founders (Launch to Seed Stage):
- Clarify, validate and stress test your business idea
- Win first paying customers and kickstart growth for your SaaS
- Develop and implement a powerful B2B SaaS Growth strategy
- Find product-market fit and close your first funding (business angels & seed)

► For Startups (Seed to Series A Stage):
- Accelerate your growth to 5M€+ ARR
- Review or implement a powerful B2B SaaS growth strategy
- Optimization of direct & indirect growth channels
- Create a growth team mentality, track the right KPIs, and set OKRs

► For more information:
- check out my website (www.alexestner.com)
- subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter for founders & early-stage startups (https://startupbusinesstips.substack.com/)

► Interested?
- Send me a DM on Linkedin

Your ICP must define your daily GTM work.

If it doesn’t, you’re not enforcing your ICP.
You just have one on paper.

If the ICP is real, it shows up everywhere 👇

• Hero section of your website
• Customers you choose for case studies and logo carousels
• Your LinkedIn post themes
• Upcoming blog articles
• The dropdowns in your product onboarding
• Mandatory CRM fields that define ICP fit
• Filters you use for outbound list building
• Keywords you monitor on Reddit and LinkedIn
• Industry influencers you follow
• Events and conferences you participate in
• Which features you show first in a sales demo
• The examples you use in sales calls
• The objection handling scripts you prepare
• The integrations highlighted on your homepage
• The use cases shown in product screenshots
• The pricing page structure and plan names
• The success metrics you track post-onboarding
• The landing pages you build (or don’t build)
• The partners you co-market with
• The communities you spend time in

And that’s just the obvious layer.

👉 What else is defined by your ICP?

P.S. This post is part of a short LK series: 6 most common GTM problems I see working with early-stage founders. 
Check out mrrunlocked.com for all 6 and follow for tomorrow's post.

Helping SaaS & AI founders build and execute their GTM foundation to grow from €0 to €1 million ARR with less trial and error | ‘Hands-on’ GTM Advisor👇

You’ve defined your ICP, worked on positioning + messaging.
Now it’s time to show your work to buyers.

That means updating your:
- Website
- LinkedIn profile
- Ads
- Outbound messages

…and your sales deck.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth I've found from working with 30+ startups over the last few years:

Most B2B SaaS decks are either…
- a feature dump, or
- a random collection of slides that don’t build conviction.

But a high-converting sales deck has one job:
Tell a buyer a story they can repeat internally.

In a nutshell, your deck should walk them through:
✅ how they currently handle [use case]
✅ what breaks / why it matters (limitations + cost of doing nothing)
✅ what changes with your product (new way)
✅ what they’ll achieve (results)
✅ why they can trust you (proof + “you’re not alone”)

I put together a slide-by-slide structure + a ready-to-use template built in Pitch.

If you want it, comment “sales deck” and I’ll DM you the link.

Most founders choose their positioning anchor randomly.

They don’t decide it. They drift into it.

And that’s dangerous.

Because your primary positioning anchor determines:

→ How buyers search
→ What they compare you against
→ Who owns the budget
→ What proof you need

Here’s the simplified breakdown of the 4 primary anchors:

1️⃣ Activity Positioning
“We help you do X.”
→ You’re replacing manual workflows
→ No category exists
→ Goal: Create awareness

2️⃣ Use Case Positioning
“We help you do X without Y.”
→ You’re fixing broken workflows
→ Category is emerging
→ Goal: Own the use case

3️⃣ Product Category Positioning
“We are a X.”
→ Buyers already compare vendors
→ Clear budget line exists
→ Goal: Win comparisons

4️⃣ Competitive Alternative Positioning
“We’re a [Leader] alternative.”
→ Market leader dominates
→ Budget already allocated
→ Goal: Steal demand

The mistake I see?

Founders choose Category positioning...
...when there is no defined category. So they invent 'new categories'.

Or they try Competitive positioning…
…without a strong enough wedge.

Positioning must match buyer awareness and market maturity.

Quick test:

When buyers evaluate you, are they:

A) Comparing vendors and search for specific categories?
B) Comparing you to a specific leader?
C) Describing what they want to achieve, even if they don’t know what type of software solves it?

Your answer tells you your anchor.

If you want the full guide (incl. the decision tree + worksheet), comment “positioning” and I’ll send it over.

---
P.S. Follow Anthony Pierri, Rob Kaminski, and April Dunford to dive deeper into positioning.

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Digital Nudging: User Experience positiv beeinflussen

Climate Change, Risks and Challenges

Digital Advertising

The Complete Digital Marketing Course

'Hands-on’ GTM Advisor || I help SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market and go from €0 to €1 million ARR with less trial & error || Join 4000+ SaaS leaders & get my free SaaS GTM tactics in your inbox👇

I help early-stage SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market and quickly go from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀

3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU
1️⃣ GTM advisory - Work with me 1-on-1 in weekly or bi-weekly deep-dive working sessions to build and execute your powerful GTM strategy.
2️⃣ List of 90+ actionable SaaS Growth Tactics and Free SaaS Growth Strategy Worksheet (Links are in the Highlight section).
3️⃣ Free actionable SaaS growth tips: Daily on LinkedIn and bi-weekly in my newsletter (read by 2300+ SaaS leaders)

Bonus: Sponsor my newsletter & reach 2300+ early-stage SaaS founders/leaders/decision makers.

Among other things, I help you with:
- Creating your ideal customer profile (ICP)
- Working on positioning, messaging & value proposition 
- Choosing the right pricing for your business (pricing model, value metric & packaging)
- Implementing the right sales strategy (sales-led vs. product-led)
- Mastering 2-3 growth channels to continuously generate new deals or/and trials
- Setting up the right tech stack in sales, marketing & customer success
- Building your commercial teams.

Send me a DM on Linkedin or book a free 15min virtual coffee to learn more about my offering.

------------
ABOUT ME:

Hi, I'm Alexander Estner - but please just call me Alex.

I'm based in Munich, Germany 🇩🇪 and I've spent my whole career in the startup environment with now more than 10 years of experience in SaaS and marketplaces from being the first commercial employee of a fast-growing SaaS-enabled-marketplace to being a Co-founder of a SaaS startup and now supporting other early-stage founders on their journey from pre-revenue to the first €1 million ARR.

Over the last 2 years, I've helped 25+ SaaS companies grow their business faster with a powerful GTM strategy - as a growth advisor, consultant, or interim manager.

What I care about: 

- Brainstorming new business ideas 💡
- Sustainability, healthy food, and barista coffee ☕.
- Traveling, well-being, and all kinds of sports like skiing, beach volleyball, yoga, and fitness 🧘‍♂️
- Books & podcasts about startups, leadership, personal development, & positive mindset 📚

------------
💡 Currently getting inspired for a new startup

Go-to-market in 2024 is tough.

My best SaaS GTM Guides help you master GTM in 2024.

1️⃣ The Ultimate Ideal Customer Profile Framework
2️⃣ The Ultimate SaaS Messaging Framework
3️⃣ High-converting SaaS Homepage template
4️⃣ The perfect Sales Deck template
5️⃣ The Ultimate SaaS Pricing Guide
6️⃣ The Best Outbound Tech Stack for SaaS
7️⃣ The Ultimate Content Marketing Guide for SaaS

The 7 Best SaaS GTM Guides 2024

The free Workbook helped 3000+ SaaS leaders build their SaaS GTM Strategy.

The Ultimate SaaS GTM Strategy Workbook [Free]

Grow faster from 0€ to 3€ million ARR with 100+ actionable & proven SaaS Growth Tactics (helped 200+ SaaS leaders)

100+ actionable SaaS growth tactics

Get weekly 3 actionable SaaS GTM strategies and tactics to grow your B2B SaaS business from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀.

MRR Unlocked 🚀 | Alexander Estner | Substack

RevGenius is a group of revenue-generating sales and marketing professionals brought together to learn, share, support, and grow with each other. You can consider us your alt work family!

The Mentoring Club is a pro bono platform where mentors and mentees meet and can schedule mentoring sessions. You can schedule a free mentoring session with me here: https://www.mentoring-club.com/the-mentors/alexander-estner

When I work with AI & SaaS founders, the GTM problem is rarely obvious at first.

On the surface, things look “busy”:
– Content is going out
– Demos are happening
– Tools are in place
– Pipeline exists

But momentum is missing.

When I audit the GTM, it almost always comes down to the same 6 things 👇

1️⃣ ICP exists, but isn’t enforced in decisions
2️⃣ Buyers don’t know what to compare the product against
3️⃣ Demos are feature tours, not a structured narrative
4️⃣ Every deal follows a different sales process
5️⃣ Website, decks, and case studies sound like everyone else
6️⃣ Content is vague and generic

None of this is a “talent” problem.
And it’s rarely a “more effort” problem.

It’s a foundation problem.

How we usually fix it:
– Make the ICP operational (not just a doc)
– Define positioning (what do we replace, how are we different)
– Design a demo structure that guides buyers, not just shows features
– Lock a default sales process with clear next steps
– Align assets around one positioning story

Especially in AI & SaaS, this matters.

Foundations first.
Everything else compounds on top of that.

👉 This post is part of a short LK series: 6 most common GTM problems I see working with early-stage founders. 
Check out mrrunlocked.com for all 6 and follow for tomorrow's post.

Your positioning statement gives your entire team clarity on why you exist.

When it’s missing, you see it immediately:

• Marketing talks about features
• Sales talks about benefits
• Product talks about roadmap
• Founders talk about vision

But no one tells the same story.

A real positioning statement answers:

• Who is your ICP?
• What core problem do they face?
• How do they solve it today?
• What limitations does that create?
• What did you build instead?
• Why are you meaningfully different?

Strong positioning is structured reasoning.

If your team can’t clearly articulate:

• Why you exist
• Why current solutions fall short
• Why you win

Your messaging will always feel inconsistent.

Below you find 4 templates for the different positioning anchors.

👇 Comment your positioning statement below. I will give feedback to every single one.

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When I review early-stage GTM setups, I often see:

– 4 channels running “a bit”
– Positioning that tries to do everything
– No anti-ICP
– Demo calls that are product tours
– CRM data that no one reviews

And when things are not moving, founders ask:

“Should we try more channels?”
“Should we pivot positioning?”
“Should we hire outbound?”

Most of the time, it's not about doing more.
It's about focus and clarity on the foundation.

So before adding anything new, fix what's already there.

Here are 10 GTM fixes you can ship this week 👇

• Define your ICP + Anti-ICP in 5 bullets
• Pick ONE positioning anchor (category OR use case)
• Kill one weak channel
• Add proper attribution (“How did you hear about us?”)
• Push your best case studies everywhere
• Make your LinkedIn profile crystal clear
• Systematize referrals
• Track lost reasons (mandatory field)
• Define when a deal opens & closes
• Review your last 3 demos critically

Choose 2 for your next week.

👇 What's on your list?

If you can’t explain what you do in one sentence...

Your buyers won’t understand it either.

Here are the 4 clean templates 👇

1️⃣ Activity Positioning

Template:
We help [ICP] [manual activity they currently do] so they can [outcome].

Example:
We help B2B SaaS founders track all their customer information in one place so they never lose deal context.

2️⃣ Use Case Positioning

Template:
We help [ICP] [clear job-to-be-done] without [limitations of the status quo].

Example:
We help B2B SaaS founders manage their prospects without juggling spreadsheets and scattered notes.

3️⃣ Product Category Positioning

Template:
We are a [product category] for [ICP].
We are a [product category] with [unique differentiator].

Example:
We are a CRM software for early-stage SaaS founders.
We are a lightweight CRM built for startups.

4️⃣ Competitive Alternative Positioning

Template:
We are a [product category] alternative to [leader] built for [ICP] with [unique differentiator].

Example:
We are a CRM alternative to HubSpot built for early-stage SaaS founders with simpler setup.

👇 Let's drop yours in the comments.

P.S. If you want the full positioning guide + worksheet, send me a DM and I will send it over.

Whenever I start working with a new founder, I don’t start with tactics.

No growth hacks.
No outbound playbooks.
No content strategy.

Instead, I ask questions.

Because after working with 30+ SaaS startups, I’ve learned something:

Most growth problems are actually clarity problems.

Here are a few of the questions I ask early on.

Customers & ICP

• Who specifically is your product built for today?
• Who are your best-fit customers?
• Who should you not target right now?
• What triggers someone to start looking for a solution like yours?

Positioning

• What is your primary positioning anchor?
• What alternatives are customers using today?
• What makes you meaningfully different?

Messaging

• What’s the core message on your homepage hero?
• What objections do you hear all the time?
• What proof do you communicate?

GTM Execution

• What stage of GTM are you currently in?
• What is your primary acquisition channel?
• What sales motion fits your product best?

If founders struggle to answer several of these questions clearly...

We don’t optimize tactics.

We fix the GTM foundation first.

Because once the foundation becomes clear:

• messaging improves
• sales conversations get easier
• pipeline quality increases

GTM suddenly feels much simpler.

Curious:
Which of these questions would be hardest for you to answer today?

---
On Sunday, I published a new newsletter episode on mrrunlocked.com where we deep dive into all 17 questions.

If buyers don’t know what to compare you against, fix this first 👇

1. Decide your anchor

Category positioning (default)
Use-case positioning (if no category exists)

2. Write one clear sentence

We’re a [category] for [use case + ICP]

If you can’t say this cleanly, nothing downstream will work.

3. Name the real alternative you replace today
Not your dream competitor.

The status quo:
-Excel
-Manual workflows
-Agencies
-Internal hacks

4. Define 2–3 competitive buckets

-Status quo
-Incumbents
-Direct competitors

5. Differentiate with sharp contrasts

- Unlike incumbent tools, we...
-Unlike point solutions, we...
-Unlike the status quo, we…

This is GTM foundation work.
Get this wrong and everything slows down:
website, sales, outbound, demos, pricing.

Get it right, and buyers finally know:
“Ah, this is what I should compare you against.”

👉 What's part of your positioning?

P.S. This post is part of a short LK series: 6 most common GTM problems I see working with early-stage founders. 
Check out mrrunlocked.com for all 6 and follow for tomorrow's post.

Most founders don’t have a product problem.
They have a positioning problem.
Last month I had 8 intro calls.

More than half needed 3+ minutes to explain what they’re building.
If I can’t repeat it back in 30 seconds, your buyers won’t either.

So here’s the simple 3-step framework I use with early-stage SaaS founders:

Step 1: Choose your Primary Anchor (What are you?)

When buyers ask:
“What is your product?”

You must answer in one sentence.

You have 4 options:

1️⃣ Activity Positioning
“We help you do X”

2️⃣ Use Case Positioning
“We help you do X without Y”

3️⃣ Product Category Positioning
“We are a X”

4️⃣ Competitive Alternative
“We are a [Leader] alternative”

Choose based on how buyers think today, not how you want them to think.

Step 2: Add a Secondary Anchor (Why you?)

Inside that primary anchor, differentiate:

• Niche down
• Low-cost
• Premium
• Unique attribute
• Lite version

Max 2. Not 5.

Step 3: Combine both into a clear statement

Strong positioning =
Primary Anchor + Secondary Anchor

Example:

(Product Category + Lite + Niche)
“We are a lightweight CRM built for startups.”

Positioning is a bet.
But no positioning is worse than wrong positioning.

If I asked you right now:
“What are you?”

Could you answer in one sentence without rambling?

P.S. I've launched my new positioning guide on mrrunlocked.com You will find the link in the comments.

One GTM problem that keeps repeating:

The GTM assets don’t reflect the 'internal strategy'.

I often review a team’s ICP, positioning, and messaging docs and think:
“This is actually very good.”

Then I look at:

- the website
-the sales deck
-the demos
- the LinkedIn profiles
- the outbound messages

...and the clarity disappears.

What this looks like in practice:

--> ICP and messaging frameworks live in Notion or Miro only
--> Sales decks are 80% product features
--> Homepage copy is fuzzy or overly technical
--> LinkedIn profiles don’t explain what the product is and for whom
--> No clear callout of ICP, category, or status quo problem
--> Strong insights exist, but prospects never see them

This is painful because the thinking is usually solid.

It’s not a strategy problem.
It’s a translation problem.

👇 What's your take?

P.S. This post is part of a short LK series: 6 most common GTM problems I see working with early-stage founders. 
Check out mrrunlocked.com for all 6 and follow for tomorrow's post.

Most startups waste time on growth channels before they’ve even tightened the basics.

Here’s a simple rule: Before adding anything new, fix 2 things you already have. 

Here are 10 quick fixes you can ship this week:

✔ Write your ICP + Anti-ICP in 5 bullets
✔ Choose one positioning anchor
--> product category OR use case. Don’t mix.
✔ Pause your weakest channel
✔ Add "how did you hear about us?" in your signup & demo flow.
✔ Share your best case studies everywhere.
✔ Revamp your LinkedIn profile for ICP clarity
✔ Ask your customers for referrals/warm intros.
✔ Track lost reasons in CRM (mandatory) + review weekly.
✔ Set hard rules for when to open/close deals.
✔ Coach yourself: Review your last 3 demo calls

None of these requires a strategy or expensive experiments.
They just reduce noise, clarify motion, and accelerate pipeline.

Start by simplifying what you already do. Then expand.

👇 What’s that for you?

P.S. For me, long hikes are where most of my GTM simplifications happen.
Distance creates clarity.

Most founders think positioning is about being clever.

It’s not.

It’s about clarity and choosing the right anchor.

There are only 4 real types of positioning in B2B SaaS:
(credits to Anthony Pierri  and Rob Kaminski )

1️⃣ Activity Positioning

“We help you do X.”

You frame your product around a manual activity.

Example (Scheduling):
“Send emails back and forth to find a time.”

You’re replacing spreadsheets, Slack, email.

Best when:
• Market is early
• No clear software category exists
• Buyers still do it manually

GTM goal: Create awareness.

2️⃣ Use Case Positioning

“We help you do X without Y.”

You anchor around a clear job-to-be-done.

Example (Product Analytics):
“Understand how users behave inside your product.”

Buyers know the problem.
They may not think in category terms yet.

GTM goal: Own the use case.

3️⃣ Product Category Positioning

“We are a X.”

Example:
CRM software
Scheduling software
Product Analytics software

Buyers:
• Google the category
• Compare vendors
• Check G2

GTM goal: Win comparisons.

4️⃣ Competitive Alternative Positioning

“We are a [Leader] alternative.”

Example:
HubSpot alternative
Calendly alternative
Mixpanel alternative

Best when:
• A dominant leader exists
• Budget already exists
• You have a strong wedge

GTM goal: Steal demand.

Important:

The same product can be positioned in all 4 ways.
But only ONE anchor should lead your narrative.

Choose based on:

→ Buyer awareness
→ Market maturity
→ What they compare you against

Not based on what sounds cooler.

If you want the full positioning framework + worksheet, head over to mrrunlocked.com

B2B Homepage Positioning // I play 🎸 in the band Good Hangs

Co-Founder @ Fletch | Positioning & Messaging for B2B Startups

Quick test: Can you answer these 4 ICP questions?

Most GTM problems actually start with a bad ICP.

You rarely struggle with tactics.
You struggle with who you should actually target.

Many teams define their ICP like this:

❌ “Mid-sized companies”
❌ “HR teams”
❌ “Any company that wants to automate X”

Which usually means...
the ICP is still too broad.

Before optimizing messaging, content, or outbound, I ask founders four simple questions:

1️⃣ Who specifically is your product built for today?
Not your TAM.

Your actual ICP.

Can you clearly define it with 4–6 attributes like:

• firmographics
• technographics
• persona attributes
• use case

Early-stage startups usually need one segment and one use case.

2️⃣ Who are your best-fit customers?

Look at your existing customers.

Who has:

• the highest usage
• the lowest churn
• the fastest sales cycle

These signals often reveal your real ICP.

3️⃣ What type of customers should you not target right now?

Define your Anti-ICP.

Companies that:

• don’t value your product
• don’t have the pain you solve
• don’t fit strategically

GTM becomes repeatable once you narrow your focus.

4️⃣ What triggers someone to start looking for a solution like yours?

Every purchase has a trigger.

For example:

• a new hire
• a new regulation
• a broken tech stack

Understanding this moment is critical for messaging and demand generation.

Can you answer these four questions today?

Writing blog posts and LinkedIn posts, but still 0 Inbounds.

I call it: "Content is done, but without a strategy"

I mean, the content isn’t designed to support real sales conversations or capture existing demand. 

This usually means teams are creating a lot of TOFU blog posts and random LinkedIn posts.

Results are usually 0 Inbounds.

What this looks like in practice:

- Random LinkedIn posts (or disconnected from ICP pain points)
- No repeatable content format (every post is a different topic)
- No Inbound generating lead magnet
- TOFU blog posts that don’t attract buyers
- Content optimized for likes, not ICP engagements
- No measurement of pipeline influence

How to fix:

- Prioritize BOFU content
alternatives, comparisons, “best X for Y”, use-case pages

- Focus early on the 5% of buyers who are already *in the market*

- Build a content map based on ICP questions by awareness stage
from problem-unaware → problem aware —> solution aware —> product (category) aware —> purchase-decision

- Build a high-performing lead magnet

- Turn real sales objections into posts and articles

- Record customer calls and use insights for your content roadmap (objections, pains, desired outcomes...)

- Measure content by meetings influenced, not impressions
e.g. via self-reported attribution (How did you hear about us?)

👉 What's missing? 

P.S. This post is part of a short LK series: 6 most common GTM problems I see working with early-stage founders. 
Check out the other 5 on mrrunlocked.com and follow for tomorrows post.

graphical user interface, text, application

Whenever I ask founders to walk me through their sales process, this is where it breaks.

Sales is a set of calls, but not a designed journey.
They don’t guide prospects through a set of clearly defined steps.
 So they can’t describe what should happen after each step.

What this looks like in practice:

- Buyers decide on next steps at the end of the call
- 10 demos, 10 different next steps 'agreed'
- Unclear what the goal of each call is
- Deals are created without a clear definition
- Trials are offered without commitment or success criteria
- Deals stall because the next steps were never designed

The root cause. No 'designed' process. 
Meaning no repeatability.

And as it's not repeatable, it's also hard to measure and optimize.

So here's my recommendation: How to fix:

- Define a simple, explicit sales process 
 e.g., Disco → Demo → Trial/Pilot → Close
- Assign a clear goal and exit criteria to each stage
- Define when a trial is “earned” (qualification threshold)
- Create standard follow-ups for each stage (post-demo, trial kickoff, recap)
- Enforce pipeline hygiene: every deal needs a next step and a close date

Ofc, if you're advanced, implement a methodology like SPICED, SPIN, or MEDDIC.

👉 This post is part of a short LK series: 6 most common GTM problems I see working with early-stage founders. 
Check out the other 5 on mrrunlocked.com and follow for tomorrows post.

Most SaaS/AI positioning fails for one simple reason:

Buyers don’t know what you are.

So they also don't know what you replace.
They can't mentally classify you.

So your differentiation becomes useless.

When that happens:

• your messaging feels vague
• demos take too long to explain
• sales conversations become harder

So before improving messaging, I ask founders three positioning questions.

1️⃣ What is your primary positioning anchor?

How should buyers mentally classify your product?

Product category = CRM
Use case = We help you do X

2️⃣ What alternatives are customers using today?

Spreadsheets.
Manual processes.
Internal tools.
Other SaaS products/categories.

Every product replaces something.

3️⃣ What makes you meaningfully different?

Your differentiation needs to be:

clear, believable, and relevant.

Quick check: Could a new visitor understand what your product is in <30 seconds?

Most founders choose their positioning anchor based on opinion.

Here’s a better way:

Choose your primary anchor based on how buyers think today, not how you want them to think.

No strategy debates.
No branding workshops.
Just yes / no.

Use this simple decision tree 👇

Step 0: Leader Dominance Test (Check First)

Q0: Is there a dominant, well-known market leader that:

- Almost every buyer already knows?
- Owns most of the category mindshare?
- Is frequently referenced in conversations?
- Is the default comparison point?

If yes, and you have a clear wedge:
→ Consider Competitive Alternative Positioning

If no, continue below.
(If you choose Competitive Alternative, still validate Category Awareness below.)

Step 1: Category Awareness Test

Q1: When buyers start evaluating solutions, do they:

- Google a specific software category?
- Compare vendors on G2 or Capterra?
- Ask for demos of multiple vendors in the same category?

Examples:

- CRM software
- Scheduling software
- Product analytics software

If buyers already think in category terms:
✅ Yes → Product Category Positioning
❌ No → Go to Step 2

Step 2: Problem Articulation Test

Q2: Can buyers clearly describe what they want to achieve, even if they don’t know what type of software solves it?

Examples:

- “We need to schedule interviews faster.”
- “We need better onboarding walkthroughs.”
- “We need to coordinate approvals more easily.”

If they articulate the job, but not the category:
✅ Yes → Use Case Positioning
❌ No → Go to Step 3

Step 3: Manual Behavior Test

Q3: Is the dominant solution still manual? When you talk to potential customers, do most of them say:

- “We just use spreadsheets.”
- “We handle this in Slack/email.”
- “We don’t really have a tool for this.”

If yes:
✅ Activity Positioning
If no → Re-evaluate your market understanding.

That’s it.
Answer top to bottom.

If you want the full guide + worksheet, send me a DM and I will send it over

One thing I’ve learned working with 30+ early-stage SaaS founders:

Positioning debates don’t end after choosing the anchor.

That’s just the beginning.

Because you can choose the “right” anchor...

...and still lose buyers with the wrong level of specificity.

Here’s what I see all the time.

Founders avoid competition by inventing new categories.

“We’re a Revenue Intelligence platform.”
“We’re a Workflow Orchestration Engine.”

Sounds strategic.

But buyers don’t think that way.

Or they go too high-level on the use case:

“We help companies increase revenue.”
“We improve productivity.”

Technically true.
Practically useless.

Buyers don’t buy “increase revenue.”

They buy:

• Manage pipeline
• Schedule meetings
• Guide onboarding
• Understand user behavior

Clear jobs. Clear boxes.

The opposite mistake also happens:

Founders get so feature-driven that their positioning sounds like a Jira ticket.
That’s too narrow.

Strong positioning lives in the tension between:

Too vague → confusing
Too specific → limiting

When we fix positioning specificity in my GTM audit, something interesting happens:

• The homepage headline gets simpler
• Sales calls get shorter
• Prospects “get it” faster

Positioning isn’t about sounding sophisticated.

It’s about being understood.

If you want me to get your positioning right, send me a DM. I have 1 free spot available starting in April.

Last weekend my wife and I escaped to the Alps for a few days.
One of the first sunny spring weekends after a long winter.

Hiking, fresh air, no Slack notifications. 
Just mountains.

And somewhere between the trails and the views, I realized something again that I tend to forget during busy weeks.

I need these breaks.

Every few weeks.

Being a solopreneur means wearing a lot of hats.
And working very hands-on with founders on their GTM means being fully present, focused, and sharp.

Right now I’m working closely with 6 startups.
Positioning, messaging, content, outbound, go-to-market foundations.

Work I genuinely love.
But it also requires a lot of energy and attention.

These few days in the mountains reminded me that recharging isn’t a luxury.

It’s part of doing great work.

So one of my big focuses for 2026 is simple:
Finding the right balance between deep work and quality time.

Time with family.
Time with friends.
Time away from screens.

Because the goal isn’t just building a business.
It’s building a life that actually feels good to live.

That's the real challenge of solopreneurship.

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

OREOS FOR MOTHER’S DAY

At a small neighborhood shop, a man quietly changes lives.

He gives free food to kids who show him their grades...a reward not just for doing well in school, but for trying, for caring, for showing up.

In this video, one young boy steps up to the counter, offered the chance to choose anything he wants.

Today, he picks milk, bread, eggs...and cookies for Mother’s Day.
And the shop owner...touched by that choice...adds a bouquet of flowers for him to bring home.

Neither of them realizes that what just happened will be remembered for years.
Because kindness like that doesn’t end at the counter...it multiplies.

Every act of generosity plants a seed:
A child whose confidence blooms.
A parent who feels seen and loved.
A community reminded that humanity still shines bright.

So here’s to the everyday heroes: the ones who lift others quietly, who give without expecting anything in return.

You may never see the full impact of your kindness...but someone’s world is brighter because of you. 


------
If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
VATT IP Management
My AI Examiner™
My Startup Shield™
https://lnkd.in/gAERstmz
https://lnkd.in/gmAS9P7Z
https://lnkd.in/gJyb28T8

Your Company ≠ Their Company

Startup culture is loud.

Announcements.
Rounds.
Launches.
Leaps.

And even the most confident founders feel it.
That quiet comparison.
“Should I be further by now?”
“Why does their growth look easier?”
“Am I missing something?”

But when you compare, you slowly lose sight of what’s yours to build.
And what’s yours was never meant to look like anyone else’s.

Different wiring.
Different gifts.
Different responsibilities.
Different seasons.

Some are drawn to bold, public momentum.
Others move with careful protection.
Some are compelled to disrupt.
Others feel called to preserve and strengthen.

None of it is accidental.
And none of it is a hierarchy.

But when you try to imitate someone else’s arc,
you drift from your own.

You trade alignment for applause.

At Founder Chapel, we care deeply about stewardship.

Stewarding your vision.
Stewarding your ownership.
Stewarding your influence.
Stewarding the people who trust you.

Because leadership isn’t about matching someone else’s leap.
It’s about faithfully tending what’s been placed in your hands.

That’s why we created Founder Chapel Learning Pods.
Small, steady circles where founders can step out of comparison and return to clarity...about their gifts, their values, and the kind of company they are called to build.

I’m deeply honored to be leading the pod focused on intellectual property and building your moat; helping founders protect what they’ve been entrusted with and think carefully about how they bring it into the market with integrity.

My incredible Founder Chapel family: David Y., Jay Jin, and Katrena Drake are leading pods of their own, each walking alongside founders through different pressures and seasons.

You don’t need someone else’s platform.
You need to steward your own.
And you don’t have to do that alone.

Come as you are.
We welcome you to apply here → https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

FIRST TOGETHER


At Founder Chapel, we believe real leaders don’t climb alone.
They rise by lifting others.

In a world obsessed with rankings, valuations, and visibility, it’s easy to believe leadership means standing above everyone else. 

But the founders who build legacies understand something deeper:
Nothing meaningful is built alone.

Behind every breakthrough are unseen sacrifices, honest conversations, shared burdens, and people who stood steady when things felt uncertain.

True leadership isn’t about guarding the top spot.
It’s about making space on it.

Because titles fade.
Headlines move on.
Momentum comes and goes.

But character remains.
Stewardship remains.
The way you build...and who you build with...remains.

That’s why Founder Chapel exists.

Through our Learning Pods, founders gather not just to scale companies, but to sharpen judgment, strengthen conviction, and build with integrity alongside others who believe leadership is a responsibility, not a spotlight.

If you’re building something that matters and you want to build it with depth, wisdom, and community...we invite you to apply here → https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

Founder Chapel: Build well. Lead faithfully. Rise together.
David Y. Jay Jin Katrena Drake

Three founders will leave my Arizona Tech Week event patent-pending.

We’re getting closer…

My Patent Pending Party™ at Arizona Tech Week (April 6–12) is coming up, and the response so far has been incredible. I’ve already had the chance to speak with some truly impressive founders and I’ve even started getting requests to bring the party to other cities 😊 

The event itself is shaping up to be something really special.

We’ll be hosting:
• A founder panel featuring raw, honest conversations about the entrepreneurial journey: the highs, the lows, the mistakes, and what founders would do differently knowing what they know now.

• An “Ask the Examiner” AMA session,  where you'll get to ask questions about patents, intellectual property strategy, and how the system actually works from an investor who spent fifteen years inside the U.S. Patent Office deciding which innovations got approved and which ones didn't. 

• A live patent hackathon, where three pre-selected founders will leave the party officially patent-pending. On me.

We’ll also have investors in the room, and we’ll end the evening with time for networking with founders, investors, and builders from across the ecosystem.

If you want a chance to be one of those three founders, there is still time to apply.

There are three Saturdays left this month, and I’m using those days to hold short 15-minute pitch sessions on Hubble.                                

The pitch session itself is the application process.

You get 15 minutes:
• 5 minutes to pitch what you’re building.
• 10 minutes for me to ask questions the way an investor with an IP strategist lens would.

From those conversations, I’ll select three founders to be invited to my Patent Pending Party™ during Arizona Tech Week.

And don’t worry...you don’t have to live in Arizona to apply.

If you’re selected, we’ll simply Zoom you in.

If you aren’t selected as one of the three, don’t worry.

You’ll either receive feedback on your pitch, or I may connect you with someone from my network of angels and VCs.

And you’re always welcome to come back and pitch again for the next party.

Ideas are everywhere.

Protected ideas are much more valuable.

If you want to pitch yours, you can book a Saturday slot here:
https://lnkd.in/g_jESdm3

Slots are limited.

Event details:
https://lnkd.in/g3dJgkzm


A special and heartfelt thank you to my sponsors, Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University and Stearns Bank N.A. This event wouldn’t be possible without your support.

Open article: RSVP to A Patent-Pending Party #AZTechWeek | Partiful by partiful.com

RSVP to A Patent-Pending Party #AZTechWeek | Partiful

I’m honored to be returning for the second year in a row as a judge for Pitch the Pros® on April 10th in Greenville, SC.

As a former United States Patent Examiner I have spent more than 25 years helping founders and inventors protect what they build.

And I have seen how often founders focus on perfecting the pitch, raising capital, and gaining traction...only to think about protection later while losing ownership rights in the process. 

That is why this year, I am proud to personally offer a Protection Prize to the Top 3 presenters through moatly™.

Each of the top founders will receive dedicated intellectual property strategy support to help ensure what they are creating is properly protected. Not just celebrated. Not just visible. Protected.

Pitch the Pros® brings together a select group of founders, investors, and industry experts in an intentional setting. 

Ten founders will pitch live. The top three will also be invited to a private VIP evening featuring a Fireside Chat and networking experience with Daymond John of Shark Tank, along with dinner and live entertainment.

If you are building something meaningful and ready to step forward, I would love to see you there.

You can learn more here:
https://lnkd.in/eZyx78ge
Christopher Guerrera LSSMBB The Modern Inventor

Looking forward to supporting the founders who take the stage and helping them protect what they have worked so hard to create.

More than a thousand years ago, an army approached the gates of a Persian fortress.

Warriors gathered. Fear spread through the walls.

And then something unexpected happened.

A young woman rode out to meet them.

Her name was Gordafarid.

In the great Persian epic Shahnameh, written by poet Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi, Gordafarid sees her homeland under threat. 

Warriors gather. 
Fear spreads through the fortress.
So she does something no one expected.

She fastens her armor.
Mounts her horse.
And rides into the battlefield herself.

Even her enemies were astonished. They had never seen such bravery from someone so young.

But Gordafarid was not written as a fragile figure or a symbol of tragedy. 

Ferdowsi portrayed her as a strategist as well as a warrior. When she realized she could not defeat her opponent by strength alone, she relied on her wit, delaying the enemy long enough to protect her people.

For many Iranians, Gordafarid has become a symbol of something timeless:
the courage of women.

Today, on International Women’s Day, I find myself thinking about that courage. 

Not just in ancient stories, but in the lives of women all around us.

Women who stand up.
Women who speak out.
Women who lead.
Women who lift others even when the path is difficult.

Because women have always done this.

One woman opens a door.
Another holds it open.
Another widens the path so others can walk through it.

We all rise when we lift each other.

Today I want to honor women everywhere.

And I want to dedicate this day especially to the women of Iran whose courage continues to inspire the world.

Your courage has reminded the world that the strength of women is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

Across centuries, from Gordafarid’s battlefield to the voices we hear today, one truth remains:

The courage of women cannot be extinguished.

Happy International Women's Day to all of the amazing women in the world 💐

DOLPHINS IN THE DESERT 🐬🌵

Today is the day, Arizona!!

I am so excited to be serving as a panelist and workshop speaker for Dolphin Tank with Springboard Enterprises.

For more than two decades, Springboard has been accelerating women-led, high growth companies with an extraordinary track record:

850+ portfolio companies
$36.4B+ in value created
225+ exits
26 IPOs

And today, Dolphin Tank is happening at Grand Canyon University.

This is not your average pitch event.
It is a true launchpad. Women founders receive real time, thoughtful feedback from investors and operators who genuinely care about growth, strategy, and long term success.

I am honored to join an incredible panel and lead a special session during the Founder Workshop from 3-5 PM focused on protecting what you are building before you pitch, scale, or raise.

Joining me on the panel:
• Mitzi Krockover, MD, CEO, Founder, Investor at WomanCentered and Women’s Health Council Member at Springboard Enterprises
• Azin Radsan van Alebeek, Co founder and General Partner at Emmeline Ventures
• Rory Bidinger, Community Development Officer at Stearns Bank N.A.

If you are a founder, investor, operator, or supporter of women entrepreneurs, this is where you should be.

And Arizona…it is not too late.
🔗 Dolphin Tank RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eQDSywgq

🦾 Founder Workshop (3 to 5 PM): https://lnkd.in/ei4XZGSW

Come support the founders who are bravely stepping forward to pitch what they are building.

There is something powerful about watching vision meet opportunity in real time.

Proud to support this right here in Arizona. 🌵🐬

There is something defining about walking into a room and realizing you may be the only woman there and deciding that you belong anyway.

I have felt that in government spaces. In investor meetings. In high level technical discussions. In rooms where expertise is tested before it is trusted.

What I have learned is this. Leadership is not about blending in. It is about standing grounded in who you are, even when the room was not designed with you in mind.

My path began internationally, where at 21 I cofounded a company in Pakistan and learned firsthand that leadership is rarely about position and always about responsibility, requiring conviction, cultural awareness, and resilience. I later served as a United States Patent Examiner, and went on to found and lead my own firm, invest in innovation, mentor founders, and raise seven children. 

Each chapter has shaped how I understand leadership, not as authority, but as stewardship.

As Women’s History Month begins, I am honored to join a panel at The New York Public Library on March 4th for a conversation on growth and leadership alongside remarkable women whose journeys are equally layered and powerful.

We will be speaking candidly about what it truly takes to build influence, the pivots, the pressure, the persistence, and the quiet strength behind the scenes that rarely gets highlighted.

If you are building something, a company, a career, a life, while trying to remain fully yourself, this conversation is for you.

Grateful to James Corry for creating space for this meaningful dialogue and for bringing together such an inspiring group of women. I look forward to sitting alongside Christina Mitine, Laura Kavanagh, Olga Alcaraz, and Rechelle Balanzat for this important conversation.

👉🏼 Join us this Wednesday: https://lnkd.in/gtz_23Eu

Sr. GTM Leader at AWS | Head of GTM at Women in AI | Agentic AI Strategy & Digital Transformation | Industry Speaker

I know what it feels like to be the only woman in the room. If you’ve ever navigated climbing the leadership ladder while authentically showing up, this conversation is for you.

As Women’s History Month begins, I’m honored to be a panelist for “Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership” on March 4th hosted by The New York Public Library.   

I’m joining four resilient women to share our career journeys and dive into the real grit required to build influence in both the corporate and government sectors.

Huge thank you to James Corry for hosting this important conversation! See you soon, Kathryn V., Laura Kavanagh, Olga Alcaraz, Rechelle Balanzat. 

👉🏼 Join us this Wednesday: https://lnkd.in/gtz_23Eu

#WHM2026 #WomensHistoryMonth #LeadingTheChange #IWD2026 #GiveToGain #WomenInTech #NYPL #Leadership

Open article: Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership by nypl.org

Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership

Founders: if you are fundraising, you do not want to miss this event.

And if you can, make sure you are in Bettina’s room.

I am not just saying that because she is one of my dearest friends. Bettina is truly one of the most thoughtful, caring, and brilliant investors I know.

The level of care and intention she brings to every founder conversation is rare. 

She listens deeply, asks the questions that actually matter, and shows up for founders long before there is ever a deal on the table.

That kind of stewardship is something special in venture. 💛

Silicon Valley Angel Investor (Pre-Seed) + LP | AI + FinTech + DeepTech + B2B SaaS + Sports Media + CPG | Ex-GoPro + Semiconductors | Hubble Advisor + Boardy Deal Partner + Incubator Mentor | Skiing + BucketHat Lover

Are you #FundRaising?  Come join me, along with 100+ other VCs, Angels, FO's

I'm hosting a networking room at the VC Virtual Conf on March 31 hosted by Max Pog.    There will be 40+ breakout rooms & 6 hours of VC networking & insights.

If you’re interested in joining the discussion
Register here:   https://vcconf.com?172

See you on the 31st... 
I'll probably be the only one in a #BucketHat

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Kathryn V.

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The Battle

Alexander Estner

Kathryn V.

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Alexander Estner's LinkedIn Performance

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