How do you create KPIs around positioning and measuring?

Let me share how we approach this at AssemblyAI because measuring positioning effectiveness is one of the trickier challenges in product marketing. At first glance, it seems almost impossible to quantify something as intangible as perception, right?

But here's what we've learned: while you can't directly measure perception, you can measure its effects. Think of it like measuring wind - you can't see it, but you can see what it moves and how it influences behavior.

In practice, we look at this through three lenses. First, there's market response. We track win/loss patterns and particularly pay attention to competitive displacement. When we sharpen our positioning, do we start winning more against specific competitors? Does our sales cycle accelerate because customers 'get it' faster?

The second lens is fascinating - it's about developer understanding. We pay close attention to how developers describe our product in their own words during technical discussions. Are they naturally echoing our positioning? Even more telling is how they implement our API - their usage patterns tell us if they truly understand our unique value.

The third lens is all about validation through usage patterns. For example, when we position ourselves as the most accurate speech-to-text API, we look for corresponding behaviors: Are developers choosing our enhanced accuracy models? Are we retaining customers with high accuracy requirements? Are we winning more deals where accuracy is crucial?

Here's the crucial part though - positioning measurement is a long game. You need to view it over quarters, not months, because perceptual changes take time to manifest in behavioral data. Just like wind patterns, you might feel small gusts day-to-day, but it's the prevailing winds over time that truly tell you which way the market is moving. Once you see those sustained patterns - in wins, in developer behavior, in usage - you know your positioning has caught the right wind and is moving the market in your direction.

What makes this approach powerful is that it combines both quantitative and qualitative signals into a complete picture of positioning effectiveness. When these three lenses align, that's when you know your positioning is truly resonating in the market.