06 · Positioning map
WHAT TO CHECK
An axis should correspond to a criterion buyers use when comparing alternatives, not simply to an internal feature. State the definition, direction, source and date for every coordinate before interpreting the picture.
The relevant comparison set includes direct competitors, substitutes, internal workarounds and doing nothing. Omitting a credible alternative can make an empty space look more attractive than it is.
Positions can move when the respondent group, the evidence source or the attribute definition changes. Record these changes and test whether the strategic conclusion survives before committing resources.
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Use the question “How can alternatives be visualised using criteria that genuinely matter in the market?” as a contract: name the owner, deadline, scope and alternatives before collecting more material. A positioning map projects offers and alternatives onto axes drawn from choice criteria. It is a way to organise evidence and expose hypotheses, not proof of preference. 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 sourced map showing occupied spaces, trade-offs and differentiation hypotheses. 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 “Choose axes that are important, distinct and measurable.” 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: Two axes necessarily simplify reality; a map opens an investigation and does not demonstrate preference. 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
