Context Beats Category
When the category is fixed, the difference lies in the frame.
The surface looks the same
In most vertical markets the software offer is well defined. Everyone has a version of the same modules, the same dashboards, the same pitch about saving time and money. Buyers see a shelf of products that blur together.
This is why categories can be misleading. Being labelled “ERP for X” sounds precise, but in practice it narrows the story to the least interesting part. The real contest is about how each product is understood in context.
What really decides
There’s a useful split between consideration attributes and retention attributes.
Consideration attributes are what sway the buyer at the point of choice: risk, compliance, margin, reputation.
Retention attributes are what keep users content after go-live: usability, reliability, support.
Both are important. But they work on different timescales. The trap is leading with retention. A beautiful interface, or staff who say they love the tool, rarely decides the initial sale. Buyers are often not the daily users, and their calculation is different.
Finding the right lens
Positioning in this world is less about inventing a category and more about deciding which attributes you want to foreground. That choice has to be grounded in what you can credibly claim.
If your strength is auditability, the natural frame is assurance.
If it’s scheduling and visibility, the frame is margin and throughput.
If it’s workflows that shape the service delivered, the frame is outcomes.
The underlying product may look similar to the competition. But the frame shifts how it is judged — and whether it feels like the obvious choice.
Why it matters
In vertical markets, market share is built on trust and proof. Everyone knows who else is in the game. Word travels. Positioning isn’t decoration, it’s a filter. Done well, it guides buyers to weigh your product on the terms that play to your strengths. Done poorly, it leaves you swimming in a pool of sameness.
At heart, context beats category. Categories are given; context is chosen. The work is to decide what should matter most at the point of purchase — and then live up to it.
Related: Real Choices · Depth Before Breadth · Reading Guide