Own Your Category

Hosted by Josh Lowman

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Jan 2024

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About the show

Host Josh Lowman, and guests, share mini-masterclasses in category creation, strategy and brand design. Join us for Listener Q&A episodes and interviews with category creators at companies like Gong, Squarespace, Zapier and more

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47 recent

January 16, 2024Episode 4631 min

Workshop: How to Fix Your Positioning

Josh hosted a live workshop to help folks get their positioning back on track. Topics included: The Three Hard Positioning Problems everybody faces.The best tool to fix each one. And why everything will fall into place when you master these tools. Josh has written the positioning for over 100 companies including Uber, Qualtrics and Gainsight. And he’s the founder of Gold Front, the category design studio. Now let’s fix your positioning.

January 2, 2024Episode 4510 min

The Gold Front Category Design Canvas

Josh shares the Gold Front Category Design Canvas, a tool that helps you ask and answer the essential questions for crafting great category strategy. Plus, there’s a Mario-themed mnemonic that makes the canvas easy to remember. This is the actual tool we use to help tech companies design new categories. Did we mention it’s Mario-themed?

December 19, 2023Episode 4434 min

Live Strategy: Anna Furmanov

Join Josh and Anna Furmanov for live strategy work. Anna is the founder of Furmanov Marketing Consulting, who’s been called the “Marie Kondo of startup marketing”. Josh and Anna talk about: Gold Front’s category strategy.The unique problem Anna’s business solves. Giving the problem a name CEOs will connect with.And how to get more specific with language. A good show! Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com

December 5, 2023Episode 439 min

WTF is Category Design?

We are back! Josh explains category design. Topics include: Why category design sometimes gets people so angry. Strategy is just thinking before you act. And category as a force multiplier for strategy. Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com

August 1, 2023Episode 4226 min

Q&A: 5 Principles Every Category Creator Must Follow

Josh shares 5 foundational principles that category creators can use to stay focused on the work that really matters. It’s easy to lose your way when creating new categories, use these tools and insights to keep yourself, and your category, on track for success. They are: Is thinking happening? Are you creating something in the mind of the customer? Is it different? Is it interesting? Is it true? Did you know there's a newsletter too? Check it out at: categoryfirst.substack.com

July 12, 2023Episode 4114 min

Q&A: You Gotta Feel It

Josh answers listener questions about category creation. My boss, the VP of marketing, wants to test everything, even an Instagram story, and I think it's making us late to get content out. Have you dealt with this? What are the main signs that a Category POV is not working? Is designing a category sort of putting the cart before the horse? Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com

June 21, 2023Episode 4014 min

Five Laws for Un-boring Brands

Josh shares 5 laws for branding to help you design original, interesting, and un-boring brands. Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com

June 14, 2023Episode 3920 min

How Josh Writes Strategy

Josh shares his process for writing strategy. Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com

June 8, 2023Episode 3840 min

Paul McDonnell | Insight Partners

Josh talks to Paul McDonnell, Vice President at one of the world's largest private equity firms, Insight Partners, about the qualities and mindset that successful category creation teams must have. In his work at Insight's Marketing Center of Excellence, Paul has seen inside many different category leadership teams, including successes like Bizzabo, Chargebee, OwnBackup, and more, and speaks first hand to what will make or break a new category. Some highlights: What it means to have the right culture for category creation. Getting the right people in the room before you start.Why humility is essential to creating good category strategy. And how category creators can start using AI today. Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com

May 2, 2023Episode 3712 min

Q&A: The Three Deadly Sins of Category Creation

Josh answers listener questions about category creation. What are the biggest mistakes you see category creators make?Have all these hype-first startups like Theranos, WeWork, FTX, etc. made investors skeptical of companies that lead with story? How do you communicate that a company is more than just hype?What's the difference in the way you approach category design for a B2B client vs. a B2C client. Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com