The Narrative Position Exercise

One of the simplest ways to begin applying Narr Theory is through a practical exercise.

Choose one product that your company sells.

Now, without mentioning any features, specifications, technologies, or technical capabilities, answer the following question:

What narrative naturally leads someone to this product?

What sequence of events, circumstances, constraints, and decisions would cause a person to seek this exact solution?

If you cannot answer that question clearly, your product may occupy a weaker narrative position than you realize.

---

The Exercise

Take one of your products and ask yourself:

• What workflow is this person engaged in?
• What problem are they encountering?
• Is this problem a bottleneck or merely an inconvenience?
• What is the nature of the problem?
• What constraints are they facing?
• What alternatives do they currently have?
• What life factors contribute to this decision?
• What work factors contribute to this decision?
• What sequence of events leads someone to actively seek this solution?

Importantly, resist the temptation to describe the product itself.

Do not begin with:

“Our platform has AI capabilities.”

Do not begin with:

“Our solution has over fifty features.”

Do not begin with:

“Our product is the market leader.”

Instead, begin with the narrative.

Starting with the Customer’s World

Imagine that your product disappeared tomorrow.

How would customers attempt to solve the same problem?

Would they use a competing product?

Would they rely on manual workarounds?

Would they seek outside expertise?

Would they simply tolerate the problem altogether?

These alternatives reveal an important truth:

Your product is not competing only against competitors.

It is competing against existing narratives.

Understanding those narratives provides a clearer picture of your true market position.

Identifying the Point of Introduction

Once you understand the narrative, another important concept begins to emerge:

The Point of Introduction.

This is the moment within a narrative when a person becomes aware of a problem, opportunity, or unmet need.

It is the point at which they begin searching for answers.

For some products, the point of introduction may occur during major life events.

For others, it may emerge during repeated frustrations within a workflow.

For others still, it may appear during moments of aspiration, identity formation, or growth.

Understanding this moment is critical because it often determines when customers become receptive to new solutions.

Prepare for the Most Intelligent Customer

Many organizations unintentionally build products and messaging around an unrealistic customer.

They assume customers will overlook shortcomings.

They assume customers will tolerate friction.

They assume customers will accept claims at face value.

Narr Theory proposes a different approach:

Prepare for the most intelligent customer.

Assume that customers will explore alternatives.

Assume that customers will seek advice.

Assume that customers will compare options carefully.

Assume that customers will make thoughtful decisions when the purchase matters.

Products that genuinely occupy strong narrative positions do not require customers to ignore reality.

Their value becomes increasingly obvious as the narrative unfolds.

Using AI Retrieval as a Narrative Mirror

One practical way to test narrative position is through AI retrieval.

Describe the narrative to an AI system exactly as a customer would describe it.

Do not mention your product.

Instead, describe:

• the workflow,
• the problem,
• the constraints,
• the desired outcome,
• and any important contextual factors.

Then observe what solutions emerge.

If your product consistently appears, it may suggest strong alignment with that narrative.

If other solutions repeatedly surface instead, it may indicate that customers understand the narrative differently than your organization does.

While AI cannot perfectly represent every customer perspective, it can serve as a useful mirror for examining how narratives connect to solutions.

For instance, if you are Toyota selling SUVs – ask this narrative in ChatGPT and see what cars it recommends.

“I am looking for a new car for my family. We are expecting our second child very soon and need more space for equipment. I currently drive a sedan so would like to upgrade in size. I also need to use this car for day-to-day commute so it should be fuel-efficient. My budget is $60-$70k, lower the better, but I would not want to give up on quality”

If you want to learn more on how AI recommends products, read this article.

Narratives Before Features

Companies often describe products through features.

Customers experience products through narratives.

The challenge for organizations is to bridge that gap.

Before discussing what your product does, ask:

What narrative brings someone here?

If you can answer that question clearly, you gain a deeper understanding of how your product fits into people’s lives.

If you cannot, there may be important aspects of the market that remain misunderstood.

Ultimately, products do not exist independently of the people who use them.

They exist within the narratives those people are already living.

The stronger the narrative fit, the stronger the product position becomes.