Positioning for product-led products
Position a product-led product for the person who tries it before a sales call. Blake Bartlett says OpenView coined product-led growth in 2016: a go-to-market strategy where the product itself drives acquisition, conversion and expansion. The trial is how they learn. Positioning still has to name the alternative, the job and who cares.
On this page
The product is the way in, not the position
In a 2023 interview, Bartlett states that definition and contrasts it with a motion where people on the sales and marketing team are the primary driver. He says a conversation with a rep is not required to start, and that sales can still exist. It is optional. It is not the thing the product depends on. When a company later adds sales, he describes it as help for a journey the user already started in the product. None of that chooses your market, your alternative or your value. Those are still positioning decisions.
The trial is where the alternative shows up
April Dunford starts with what the buyer would do if you did not exist. In a product-led motion, that comparison happens during the trial, often with no one from your company in the room. Her framing post says startups often lead with features or technology before a prospect knows what the product is. A signup that skips the job, the customer and the difference leaves them to guess the frame, then leave.
Steps
Name who tries it
The person who can start without a call. A team, a role, a job. Not “users”.
Name what they would do instead
A spreadsheet, a build, a suite they already pay for, or nothing.
Say the job in the first screen
The trial confirms the sentence. It should not have to invent it.
Separate the user and the buyer
The person who tries it and the person who pays may need two lines from the same position.
Test it in the product
Can a new user repeat the value after one session, in your words?
What the first screen owes them
| Who | What they need before they click | A line that fails |
|---|---|---|
| Person who will try it | The job, and what they do today | Start free. No clue what it is |
| Person who may pay later | Why this is worth a budget | A usage chart with no outcome |
| Teammate they invite | What changes for that teammate | Invite your team, with no job attached |
FAQs
Is product-led growth the same as having no sales team?
No. Bartlett’s point is that a sales conversation is not required to start. Sales can still help a buyer who began in the product.
Should the homepage say there is no sales call?
Only if that is why your best-fit buyer picks you. The sentence they need first is what it is and who it is for.
Does a free trial replace positioning?
No. The trial is where a stranger tests the position. If the position is missing, the trial teaches them nothing you can repeat.