value-prop-writing

a value proposition translates from product to user. it answers: "what do you do, and why should i care?"

the shape

for [audience], [product] is [category] that [outcome].

unlike [alternative], we [point of differentiation].

simple. it works because it carries audience, function, outcome, and differentiation.

what makes a value prop strong

specific audience

write to one. you can have multiple value props for different audiences, but each one is written to one.

concrete outcome

the user-facing result, not the feature.

• bad: "with our ai engine, you can automate workflows"
• better: "ship in days what used to take weeks"
• best: "ship a customer-facing feature on monday, get feedback by friday"

honest differentiation

what's really different. not what your team wishes were different.

• bad: "the most powerful platform"
• good: "the only one that runs entirely offline"

user language

words your audience uses, not words your team uses. if your audience says "deals", don't say "opportunities".

the layered value prop

a single page often needs three layers:

the hero (one line)

what the value prop is in its sharpest form.

the support (one paragraph)

unpacks the hero. answers "tell me a little more".

the proof (specific evidence)

concrete capabilities, integrations, customer outcomes, or capabilities that make the support paragraph believable.

example:

hero
"the spreadsheet built for product teams"

support
"product objects, not rows. shareable links, not access requests. extensible with code when spreadsheets stop being enough. built by people who got tired of pretending."

proof
- 8 of the top 20 product companies use it
- integrates with [list]
- average team saves [X hours per week]
- the founders shipped [specific past product]

audience-specific value props

if you serve more than one audience, write one value prop per audience and align them under a common hero. they should sound like variants of the same brand, not different companies.

output

audience
  who: [specific]
  what they're trying to do: [job]
  what they try today: [alternative]
  what bothers them about that: [pain]

hero (one line)
  [value prop]

support (one paragraph)
  [expanded]

proof (bullets)
  [evidence]

variants
  for [audience A]: [hero + support]
  for [audience B]: [hero + support]

what we don't say
  claims we could make but won't (e.g. promising what we can't deliver, or speaking to audiences we don't actually serve)

what to avoid

• adjectives doing the work of evidence
• naming features before naming benefits
• promises that depend on the user already understanding the category
• writing the value prop for the founder's ear instead of the audience's
• changing it every quarter (consistency is a multiplier)