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What the Thing IS vs What the Thing DOES

Product / Dualities

Describing a product by its parts is not the same as describing what it does for people.

The Tension

"A database with a web front-end" is what a product IS. "Remembers your customers so you never lose one" is what it DOES. The first describes mechanics; the second describes value. Users buy the second.

The Two Sides

IsDoes
Components, featuresOutcomes, changes
Your vocabularyCustomer's vocabulary
Useful internallyUseful externally
Describes the toolDescribes the job

How to Navigate

Test

Ask someone who's never seen your product: "What does this do for me?" If they can't answer in one sentence, your positioning describes what it IS, not what it DOES.

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