If you’re a tech leader struggling with poor engagement and high churn rates, you’re not alone. Many founders believe that retention is a post-sales problem — something that customer success or product tweaks can fix. But in reality, churn starts with positioning.
One of the most common positioning mistakes is marketing a product to an audience that loves it but doesn’t need it. If your product is adored by hobbyists but not indispensable to professionals, engagement will always be inconsistent.
In my Wisdom from Wizards episode featuring Nida Ateeq, founder of Anagar Media, we discuss how professionals engage with a product consistently, provide valuable feedback, and even advocate for it when they switch companies. This kind of attachment creates long-term growth, while hobbyist-driven usage can be fickle and unpredictable.
If your product is losing users, take a step back and ask yourself:
✅ Are you solving a mission-critical problem for professionals?
Professionals don’t just want nice-to-have tools; they invest in solutions that make their work easier, faster, and more efficient. If your product is positioned as essential to their workflow, engagement will follow.
✅ Does your positioning reinforce habitual, long-term use?
The most successful products are those that embed themselves into daily routines. Are you emphasizing the ways in which your product becomes a necessary habit, rather than just an occasional tool?
✅ Are you attracting users who will actually stick around?
Your messaging, pricing, and sales strategy should all align with the needs of long-term, high-value users — not just those who will try the product once and churn.
Churn isn’t just a retention issue — it’s a positioning issue. The better you define your audience and the more you focus on making your product indispensable, the easier it becomes to drive sustainable engagement.
For more insights on positioning, messaging, and product marketing strategies that drive real results, check out my Amazon Bestseller, Product Marketing Wisdom.