---
aliases: ["Value Proposition"]
tags: [pm-skills, skill]
skill: value-proposition
description: "Craft a sharp value proposition that says who it's for, the outcome, and why you over the alternative. Use when asked to write a value prop, a value proposition, a one-liner, or to clarify 'what do we even say we do?'. Produces a primary value-prop statement, a plain-language one-liner, 3 benefit-led variations, and the before→after transformation it promises — ready to headline a landing page."
---

# Value Proposition Skill

A value proposition is the single sentence that makes someone think "that's for me." Most are vague
feature-soup ("the all-in-one platform for modern teams"). This skill writes one that names the
audience, the outcome they actually want, and why you beat the alternative — the foundation every
landing page, ad, and pitch is built on. (For the *category/competitive frame*, pair with
[`product-positioning-doc`](../product-positioning-doc/SKILL.md); this writes the words.)

## Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

- **What it is** — the product/service in one plain line.
- **Who it's for** — the specific audience (sharper segment = sharper value prop).
- **The outcome** — the result or transformation they get (not the features).
- **The alternative** — what they use today, and why you're better/different.
- **Proof** — any evidence (a metric, a mechanism) that backs the claim.

## Output Format

### Value Proposition: [product]

**1. Primary statement** — the canonical form:
> For **[audience]** who **[need/struggle]**, **[product]** is the **[category]** that **[key outcome]**. Unlike **[alternative]**, it **[differentiator]**.

**2. One-liner** — the plain-language version a customer would say to a friend (≤12 words, no jargon). This is the headline candidate.

**3. Three variations** — benefit-led alternates in different angles (outcome-led, pain-led, identity-led), so you can A/B them.

**4. Before → After** — the transformation in two columns (their world without you → with you). This is what the copy dramatizes.

| Without [product] | With [product] |
|---|---|
| [the painful status quo] | [the better state] |

**5. What to avoid** — the generic phrasings to cut (e.g. "all-in-one", "seamless", "next-generation") because they say nothing.

## Quality Checks

- [ ] Names a specific audience — not "teams" or "businesses"
- [ ] Leads with the outcome/transformation, not features
- [ ] States the differentiator vs. a named alternative
- [ ] The one-liner is jargon-free and repeatable by a customer
- [ ] Claims are backed by (or flagged as needing) real proof

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not list features — a value prop is the outcome, features are the proof later
- [ ] Do not write for everyone — "for modern teams" resonates with no one; pick the segment
- [ ] Do not use empty superlatives ("revolutionary", "seamless", "all-in-one") — they're noise
- [ ] Do not skip the alternative — value is relative; "better than what?" must be answered
- [ ] Do not make an unbacked claim the headline — if the proof isn't there, soften or earn it first

## Based On

Value-proposition design (Osterwalder) + April Dunford positioning as the upstream frame.

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