06 · Differentiation
WHAT TO CHECK
A difference matters only when it improves an outcome the target uses to choose. Describe the situation and alternative being displaced, rather than claiming uniqueness in the abstract.
Specify what is compared, how it is measured and what evidence would contradict the claim. A slogan or an internal feature list is not evidence that an externally visible gap exists.
A credible position also names the capabilities, costs and sacrifices required to maintain it. If a rival can reproduce the claim without meaningful constraint, the promise is a short-lived message rather than a strategic advantage.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Use the question “Which difference changes the customer’s choice and can be evidenced over time?” as a contract: name the owner, deadline, scope and alternatives before collecting more material. Strategic differentiation links a priority need, an observable gap, credible proof and a mechanism that competitors cannot copy immediately. Record what is deliberately outside scope, who can challenge the framing and what consequence follows from postponement. This prevents an attractive framework, actor list or market story from silently replacing the decision that the analysis is meant to support.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
For every material statement, retain the original source, publication date, observation period, method, unit and relevant population. Distinguish observed facts, calculated estimates, interview judgements and assumptions. Connect the register to the promised output: A differentiation hypothesis with expected proof, trade-offs and imitation risk. Missing or contradictory evidence remains visible with a responsible owner and a collection action; it is never converted into certainty merely to complete the page.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Define the rules before applying the analysis: inclusion criteria, identifiers, comparison set, calculation or coding convention, treatment of missing values and version date. Reproduce the same convention across every option or actor. Use the page checks as acceptance tests, beginning with “Verify that the criterion matters to the chosen target.” A conclusion is usable only when another practitioner can reconstruct how the inputs became the displayed result and identify where judgement entered.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Challenge the preferred interpretation with at least one plausible alternative, contradictory observation and sensitivity test. Separate association from prediction and never infer intent, power or causality from a position, score or visual proximity alone. The standing limit remains: Being different is not enough: the gap must be preferable, credible and economically sustainable. State which uncertainty is most likely to reverse the conclusion and what additional observation would discriminate between the competing explanations.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Turn the analysis into a dated decision record rather than a static page. Preserve the selected option, rejected alternatives, objections, accepted risks and first reversible action. Name the signal, numerical or qualitative threshold, review owner and review date that will confirm, adapt, pause or reopen the decision. Link every later update to its author and reason so that the history remains understandable when evidence or market conditions change.
LIMIT
