# April Dunford

> April Dunford is the world's leading authority on B2B product positioning. A former VP of Marketing at seven venture-backed tech startups (collectively acquired for $2B+), she turned a career of accidental positioning wins into a methodology used by 300+ companies including Google, IBM, and Epic Games. Her book 'Obviously Awesome' (2019, updated 2026) has sold 100,000+ copies and redefined how tech companies think about market context. She consults, speaks, angel invests, and runs a newsletter and podcast under the 'Positioning with April Dunford' brand.

- **Role:** Founder & Principal Consultant at Rocket Launch Marketing
- **Organizations:** Rocket Launch Marketing, DMZ (Toronto Metropolitan University) - Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Watcom, Janna Systems, DataMirror, Sitraka, InfoBright, Tulip Retail
- **Nationality:** Canadian
- **Education:** Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo
- **Known for:** Author of 'Obviously Awesome' - 100,000+ copies sold, the definitive B2B positioning methodology book, Author of 'Sales Pitch' (2023) - bridges positioning strategy and sales execution, Consulted 300+ technology companies on positioning including Google, IBM, Postman, and Epic Games

## Career timeline

- **1990s** — Engineering graduate joins tech industry; accidentally repositions a failing product at first job - discovers positioning without knowing the term
- **1990s-2000s** — VP of Marketing at Watcom (acquired by Sybase); then Janna Systems (acquired by Siebel/SAP)
- **2000s** — VP of Marketing at DataMirror (acquired by IBM); VP of Marketing at Sitraka (acquired by Quest Software)
- **2000s-2010s** — Executive roles at InfoBright and two additional venture-backed B2B startups; total 7 startups, $2B+ in acquisitions
- **2014-2016** — COO at Tulip Retail (B2B retail tech, Toronto)
- **2015** — Founded Rocket Launch Marketing; transitioned to full-time independent positioning consultant
- **2019** — Published 'Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning So Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It'; rapidly became the definitive B2B positioning text
- **2020-2022** — Grew consulting practice to 300+ client engagements including Google, IBM, Postman, Epic Games; expanded speaking circuit globally
- **2022** — Launched 'Positioning With April Dunford' podcast (The Positioning Show)
- **2023** — Published 'Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win' (September 2023)
- **2024** — Multiple major podcast appearances including Forget the Funnel; continued active consulting and speaking
- **2026** — Released updated and expanded second edition of 'Obviously Awesome' (first hardcover); newsletter surpassed 40,000 subscribers

## Achievements

- Author of 'Obviously Awesome' - 100,000+ copies sold, the definitive B2B positioning methodology book
- Author of 'Sales Pitch' (2023) - bridges positioning strategy and sales execution
- Consulted 300+ technology companies on positioning including Google, IBM, Postman, and Epic Games
- Part of 7 venture-backed startups acquired collectively for $2 billion+
- Launched and positioned 16 products during corporate career
- Built 'Positioning With April Dunford' newsletter to 40,000+ subscribers
- Recognized as the world's leading authority on B2B product positioning
- Entrepreneur-in-Residence at DMZ (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Keynote speaker at major conferences including MicroConf, Business of Software, Startup Grind
- Angel investor and board member at multiple Canadian tech startups

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Released updated and expanded second edition of 'Obviously Awesome' - first hardcover, with new pre-work section, expanded differentiated value chapter, and content for multi-product companies
- **2026-01** — Announced updated 'Obviously Awesome' edition; newsletter at 40,000+ subscribers
- **2025-07** — Appeared on B2B Better podcast
- **2024-11** — Appeared on Forget the Funnel podcast
- **2024-04** — Appeared on Startup Talks podcast
- **2023-09** — Published 'Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win'

## Links

- Website: https://www.aprildunford.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/aprildunford
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/april-dunford
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-23