Your Startup Isn’t Different. Your Messaging Is Broken | Simon Schmitz

Every AI startup claims to be revolutionizing something.Every homepage says it’s AI-powered.Every pitch deck sounds like it was written by the same person.So why do so many smart companies struggle to explain what they actually do?In this episode of Messy Growth, I sat down with positioning strategist Simon Schmitz to unpack why messaging not product is often the biggest reason startups fail to stand out.We talk about why founders overcomplicate simple ideas, why adding more features usually makes your positioning worse, how politics shaped Simon’s approach to messaging, and why most companies are afraid to make the one decision that actually creates clarity.If you’ve ever looked at a startup website and thought, “I still have no idea what this company does,” this episode is for you.We cover:

• Why every AI startup sounds identical
• The biggest messaging mistakes founders make
• Why customers don’t care about your features first
• The fear of niching down (and why it’s killing growth)
• How better positioning leads to better sales
• Why clarity beats cleverness every time
• The hidden cost of trying to appeal to everyone

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