TABLE OF CONTENTS

Persona Worksheet: Identifying Customer Unmet Needs in Record Time

Step 3: Identify Unmet Needs - Gaps

Step 4: Generate your Customer Unmet Needs Statement

Step 5: Send Your Completed Worksheet

Next: Differentiators

Persona Worksheet: A Systematic Approach

Quickly identify compelling customer unmet needs using our persona worksheet

Innovation - Messaging & Positioning

Dan Wu, JD/PhD

Dec 20, 2025

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Quickly identify compelling customer unmet needs using our persona worksheet

This is part 2.2 in the series below.

View our related series on Positioning and Messaging (Toggle For More)

Messaging & Positioning Template
• Intro: (i) The Positioning Pyramid; (ii) 5 Expert Tips
• Needs: (i) Customer Unmet Needs; (ii) Persona Worksheet; (iii) Discover Needs
• Niche: (i) Ideal Client & (ii) Ideal Client Worksheet
• Differentiator: (i) Differentiators & (ii) Value Proposition Worksheet
• Category: Market Category

Overcoming Objections
• Proof
• Workflow Redesign
• Offers

Strategic Learning
• Clarify: Copy Testing
• Discover: Discover Needs; Use channel partners
• Validate: Customer Validation;
• Questions: 4 key questions (quick start)
• Scale: Smart Feedback

Persona Worksheet: Identifying Customer Unmet Needs in Record Time

Last time, we discussed the importance of specific, unmet, and critical needs to solve. Without this, you risk solving less important problems, ultimately harming the strength of your positioning and messaging statement.

Now, it's your turn to apply the steps we identified to flesh out your understanding of your target segment.

(For further explanation of any of the steps below, see the related article Customer Unmet Needs)

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A Note From the Author (Dan Wu, JD/PhD)

As a former startup SVP of Product, I've lived the challenges this covers. I've used similar frameworks and tools to build and manage responsible, high-growth products generating 6-7 figures of annual revenue.

I help social impact leaders find who will buy, what to say, and what to sell, fusing Silicon Valley product thinking & Harvard PhD insight.

Step 1: Copy the Persona Worksheet

Fill this out. Provide comments on the linked article on identifying Customer unmet needs

Request access. I give access to those who fill the form out above.

Step 2: Fill out Persona Worksheet

These is the key information that will generate a “rough draft” of your core needs statement, which is the first part of your positioning and messaging statement.

Go to the tab “Persona Worksheet.” Scroll past the below. This comes later.

Note this statement is automatically generated by your inputs below, so fill the below out first.

Add in all items with the blue header under “Your Answer”

Hit the ungroup buttons. These include longer text that contain useful information for future reference, such as the 'Dream Outcome (Full Statement).’

Fill out unmet needs - gaps. Do so by going through Step 3 below. This clarifies real market gaps that are worth solving. While you can technically skip this step, I recommend you do a deep dive if you feel your positioning needs improvement. This step is also critical to the following section on identifying your top differentiators.

Step 3: Identify Unmet Needs - Gaps

List specific names of alternatives currently used to address their top unmet need and their limitations.

Commit to checking your optimism bias.

To counter this, study the real-world alternatives—those imperfect yet "good enough" solutions people already use to meet their needs.

Innovators often stumble because they fail to understand the real-world alternatives their audience already uses (or would realistically consider) to solve unmet needs. By ignoring these existing solutions, they risk comparing themselves against "illusory alternatives" that fail to address the limitations of current options their target considers. This misstep blinds them to authentic market gaps and opportunities.

⚠️ If you find yourself questioning whether your audience actively seeks solutions or passively tolerates existing limitations, consider this a crucial red flag. ⚠️

You may be addressing a problem that feels secondary or irrelevant to those you aim to serve. Early-stage innovations cannot afford to both solve a problem and persuade users to care about it. Actions often speak louder than words; just because your target claims an issue matters does not mean it truly does. Instead, heed these signals early and recalibrate your focus, ensuring that your efforts align with what genuinely drives your audience's decisions.

Audit real alternatives. Open tab “Alternatives that Address Target's Need” and identify key alternatives, including the status quo solution and the name(s) of key competitors in the field. Remember to focus on genuine competitors who share the same target market and seek the address the same core need and/or limitations of the status quo. (For more specific guidance on this tab, see Messaging & Positioning Template: Customer unmet needs).

If you need tie-breakers, fill out the columns to the right of the “tie breaker” column.

Limitations Tab

Add top Limitations. To add choices to the Limitations dropdown, follow the steps below by going to the specific tab “Unsolved Limitations of Top Alternatives.” This is an incredibly important section to get right. These limitations represent the “market gaps” you address with your solution.

Prioritize. Score them on the criteria listed to identify the top limitations and add reasoning and details around these limitations.

Alternatives Tab

Complete. Score the rest of the criteria in the tab “Alternatives that Address Target's Needs.”

Add to the reasoning column. This helps others understand the “why” behind your scoring.

Step 4: Generate your Customer Unmet Needs Statement

Back in the “Persona Worksheet” tab:

Fill out the rest of the Unmet Needs - Gaps. Draw from your work in the tabs above.

View the draft generated, once all rows with a ⭐ are filled in.

Refine and clarify. (As also mentioned in the first post in the messaging and positioning template series, consider using AI to help generate options, but don’t overly wordsmith).

Step 5: Send Your Completed Worksheet

Check off and confirm completion of every key step in tab “Checklist”

Share this sheet with me providing “edit” access

Next: Differentiators

Now review the post developing your differentiator now that you’ve clarified and deepened your understanding of your target segment’s needs and existing market gaps.

View our related series on Positioning and Messaging (Toggle For More)

👉 Want the Tools Mentioned Above?

Start with our free checklist to get on the path to the rest.

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Dan Wu, JD/PhD

Dan Wu is our Lead Innovation Advisor focused on helping leaders build safe, high-growth products. As an SVP of Product & Chief Strategy Officer, he has led and managed products to achieve 6 to 8 figures in revenue. His work is informed by his background as a Harvard JD/PhD, where he focused on responsible innovation, social networks, and mixed-methods research.

Persona Worksheet: A Systematic Approach

Persona Worksheet: Identifying Customer Unmet Needs in Record Time

A Note From the Author (Dan Wu, JD/PhD)

Step 1: Copy the Persona Worksheet

Step 2: Fill out Persona Worksheet

Step 3: Identify Unmet Needs - Gaps

Step 4: Generate your Customer Unmet Needs Statement

Step 5: Send Your Completed Worksheet

Next: Differentiators

👉 Want the Tools Mentioned Above?

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