From Positioning to Pipeline:

Know Your Customer, Craft Your Message, Fill Your Funnel

Building a great product is only half the battle. To grow, you need to know exactly who you're selling to, why they should choose you, and how to reach them. This two-part workshop gives early-stage founders a practical framework to define their positioning, sharpen their messaging, and build a marketing strategy that drives real customer acquisition.

Part 1 is a hands-on, in-person session where you'll work through the core frameworks and leave with clarity and a plan.

📅 Thursday, May 21, 2026
⏰ 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
📍 Large Training Room, 600 Park Offices Drive, RTP, NC 27709 

A few weeks later, we'll reconvene for Part 2: a virtual Office Hours and AMA where you can bring your questions, test what you've applied, and get live feedback from our facilitators.

📅 Wednesday, May 27, 2026
⏰ 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
📍 Virtual (Zoom link to follow)

 We'll Cover

 1. The Problem You Solve:

Identifying your core problem and validating that the market will pay to fix it.

2. Your Ideal Customer Profile:

Building an ICP that aligns your product, marketing and sales efforts.

3. Competitive Positioning:

Mapping your competitive landscape and identifying where you have a real advantage.

4. Your Unique Value Proposition:

Crafting a differentiated positioning and UVP that sets you apart.

5. Messaging That Resonates:

Developing and testing messaging that speaks to real buyers by role and pain point.

6. Market Size and Growth Potential:

Understanding your market and what it means for your trajectory.

7. Customer Acquisition:

Practical strategies to get your first customers, from your personal network to referral programs.

8. Marketing Channels and Objectives:

Connecting your goals to the right channels across the full funnel.

9. AI in Your Marketing Workflow:

Integrating AI tools to move faster and work smarter.

You'll Walk Away With

• A clear Ideal Customer Profile ready to guide your marketing and sales
• A competitive positioning and UVP you can confidently communicate
• Messaging tailored to your key buyer roles and their pain points
• A marketing channel strategy tied to your growth objectives
• A customer acquisition roadmap built for where your business is now
• Access to virtual Office Hours on May 27 to apply what you learned and get live feedback

Make this workshop free - and every one after it.

FORGE members get more than a seat at the table - you get complimentary access to every CED workshop, a Venture Connect ticket, and a community of founders and operators building across the Triangle. If you're going to be in the room anyway, membership pays for itself fast.

Facilitators:

CEO, Ladder17

Megan Thomas

Megan is a senior marketing and communications leader who partners with founders to craft differentiated strategies that build brands and drive growth.

With deep experience across B2B and B2C marketing and a specialty in FoodTech and Consumer Products, she brings a track record of launching innovative products and earning national media coverage in outlets like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Facilitators:

CEO, Ladder17

Susan Wall

Susan is a customer-focused executive with a proven track record in software and media, known for building repeatable, data-driven engines for business growth.

She brings deep expertise in revenue marketing and a passion for helping high-growth companies with entrepreneurial cultures turn data into predictable, scalable success.