Obviously Awesome by April Dunford Summary
Overview of Obviously Awesome
"Obviously Awesome" reveals how proper positioning transforms products into market winners. April Dunford's 10-step methodology, drawn from 25 years in B2B tech, has become the secret weapon for founders and executives tired of watching brilliant products fail due to context confusion.
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Key takeaways
Positioning: The Secret Weapon That Makes Products Irresistible
Have you ever wondered why some products effortlessly capture market attention while others-even superior ones-struggle? Consider this: Joshua Bell, one of America's finest classical violinists who sells out $300-seat concerts, played incognito in a Washington DC subway station. Only 7 of 1,070 passersby stopped to listen, netting him a mere $32.17. This wasn't a failure of talent but of positioning. Without the concert hall context, his extraordinary skill went unrecognized-just as your brilliant product might when positioned poorly. Positioning isn't just marketing fluff-it's the fundamental context that determines whether customers "get it, buy it, love it." Weak positioning undermines everything in marketing and sales, like trying to make an omelet with rotten eggs. Strong positioning, however, feels like cheating-suddenly everything becomes easier, with the wind always at your back. Most products are exceptional only when understood within their best frame of reference. Without deliberate positioning, customers create their own context-often in ways that hide your product's true strengths or place it in unfavorable comparisons.
The Five Components That Make Positioning Work
Your Best Customers Hold the Key to Positioning
Breaking Free from Positioning Baggage
Finding Your Best Market Frame of Reference
Implementing Positioning Across Your Organization
The Transformative Power of Deliberate Positioning
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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