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; 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.