If you want to find what actually makes you stand out, you need to answer 17 questions that show you where you blend in and where your difference begins.
More value.
More content.
More consistency.
That’s not the real problem.
The real problem is:
You look like everyone else.
This is what Marty Neumeier calls the Zig-Zag Principle.
Most markets move in one direction.
Same ideas.
Same positioning.
Same language.
That’s the zag.
And if you stay inside that, you disappear.
A zig is not the opposite.
It’s a clear, intentional difference.
But you can’t define that until you see what already exists.
That’s exactly what these 17 questions do.
Who are you?
What business are you really in?
Who are your customers?
What do they actually want?
What problem are they trying to solve?
What makes you different?
Who are you competing against?
What do you do better?
What do you do worse?
What is your unique strength?
What is your personality?
How do you communicate?
What is your story?
What do you believe that others don’t?
What do you want to be known for?
What is your promise?
And finally:
What is your zig?
These questions don’t give you your zig instantly.
They show you where you stand and help you to stand out.
They clarify what you believe, how you think, and how similar you are to everyone else.
And once you see that clearly, you start recognizing the pattern.
You see the zag and the zig finally becomes possible.
P.S.:
Good content gets consumed.
Different content gets remembered.