Design Disciplin

April Dunford: Positioning and Marketing Leadership

October 01, 2021
Design Disciplin
April Dunford: Positioning and Marketing Leadership
Show Notes

April Dunford spent 25 years running marketing, product, and sales teams as a startup executive.

Creating a systematic way of positioning tech products and companies became her life's work, informing her consulting practice where she has advised 100+ companies. Her best-selling book Obviously Awesome offers a methodology that any leader or entrepreneur can follow.

I found great value in April's positioning methodology as I figure out directions for my own projects, including Design Disciplin. Even though her experience comes from leading business-to-business marketing, she offers lessons that we can adapt to a whole range of situations – including but not limited to how our design projects speak to their audience, and how to position ourselves towards potential employers and clients.


https://designdisciplin.com/april-dunford


:: Books, Links, Resources

+ Obviously Awesome by April Dunford: https://geni.us/obviously-awesome
+ The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson: https://geni.us/challenger-sale
+ The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank: https://geni.us/four-steps-to
+ The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: https://geni.us/lean-startup-dd


:: Connect with Design Disciplin

+ Website: http://designdisciplin.com​
+ Podcast: http://podcast.designdisciplin.com​
+ Instagram: http://instagram.com/designdisciplin/​
+ Twitter: http://twitter.com/designdisciplin/​
+ YouTube: http://youtube.com/designdisciplin
+ Bookstore: http://designdisciplin.com​/bookstore


:: Connect with April Dunford

+ Website: https://aprildunford.com/
+ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aprildunford


:: Episode Bookmarks

00:00​ What is "positioning"?
02:02 April's story
06:19 "Marketing" vs. "design" vs. "product"
09:21 Design methods, lean vs. service-driven, "positioning baggage"
15:54 What the product is vs. who the product is for
22:55 Positioning for consumer products, professional services, and individual careers
33:15 Skills and advice for younger professionals
35:53 Execution: a question no-one asks
39:00 Books
40:46 What is next for April Dunford?
41:44 Extracurriculars
43:16 Closing