Get lost in order to be found

From The Pirates of the Caribbean School of Positioning

“For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can’t be found, elseways everyone would know where it was.”

Captain Hector Barbossa might not have been talking about positioning, but he captured something fundamental about how we shape perception, brand identity, and competitive advantage. The best positioning isn’t obvious if it were, everyone would be doing it. To create something truly distinctive, you first have to let go of the obvious paths and embrace the discomfort of being lost.

Breaking It Down to Build It Better

Positioning a product, company, or service isn’t about just finding the nearest available niche and settling in. It’s about deconstructing communication into its component parts: message, audience, emotion, competitive landscape and then reassembling them in a way that makes the most competitive and creative sense. It’s logic, but it’s also storytelling. It’s structured, but it must feel instinctive. The goal is to build a framework that both inspires and persuades.

Why Getting Lost is a Good Sign

It’s an absolute compliment when, during a positioning workshop, someone says, “I’m lost.” That’s when I know we’re making progress. It means we’ve stepped beyond default thinking, past the generic claims and comfortable assumptions. We’re breaking through into something new; something with the potential to truly differentiate.

Last week, a participant summed it up perfectly: “I’m having a brain melt.” Exactly. Because only when we get lost can we arrive somewhere no one else has been before.

Positioning as Discovery

Too many brands try to plot a safe course, following existing maps of their industry. But great positioning isn’t about playing it safe, it’s about discovering uncharted territory, crafting a story that only you can tell, and creating an emotional and strategic pull that makes people believe in what you stand for.

So, if you feel lost in the process, take it as a sign that you’re doing it right. Because the best destinations, the ones worth finding, aren’t on any existing map.

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ACTIONS

Embrace uncertainty to uncover positioning that sets you apart.

Deconstruct communication elements to rebuild a more competitive narrative.

Balance logic with emotional impact to create lasting resonance.

Challenge default thinking to break free from generic claims.

View discomfort as progress—being lost signals discovery.

Craft a positioning story that only you can tell.

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FURTHER READING

The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene

Rebel Ideas ?by Matthew Syed

The Hero and the Outlaw by Margaret Mark & Carol Pearson