By Mehdi HassanShould you describe your product as X for Y?
You should describe your product as "X for Y" only when it makes the product easier to understand than your own words can, and when the reference sets the right expectations. That's often true early on, for new categories and short attention spans. It's often false later, when the comparison starts limiting how buyers see your price and scope.
Analogies are the first layer of the method we use for explaining complex products: analogy, then mechanism, then proof, then visual. Our hub guide on how to explain a complex product on your website covers the whole sequence. This article looks closely at the first layer, and at the most common and most misused version of it.
What does X for Y positioning actually do for a reader?
X for Y positioning lends the reader a mental model they already have, so they can place your product in seconds. "Figma for video editing" tells a designer to expect a browser-based, collaborative, multiplayer tool. That's a lot of information in four words, which is why the format became a startup cliché.
But a reference brings more than its mechanism. It also brings:
- A price point. Readers assume you cost roughly what the reference costs, or less.
- A quality bar. You'll be judged against the reference's best features on day one.
- A reputation. Whatever buyers think of the reference, good or bad, transfers to you.
- A scope. "X for Y" suggests you do what X does, in a narrower market, and nothing more.
Whether those extras help or hurt decides whether the analogy is working for you.
When does a product analogy help?
A product analogy helps when the visitor can't picture what you do, and the reference closes that gap with the right expectations. Four situations make it most useful.
Situation | Why the analogy helps | Example pattern |
|---|---|---|
New category with no shared name | Buyers have nothing to compare you with | "A CRM for your suppliers" |
Unfamiliar mechanism | The reference explains how it works | "Version control for spreadsheets" |
Very short attention | Investor intros, ad copy, social bios | "Like a design system, but for legal clauses" |
Moving a known model to a new buyer | The buyer already likes the reference | "Self-serve analytics for clinics" |
The strongest analogies point at the mechanism, not just the market. "Version control for spreadsheets" tells you how the product works. "The Uber for X" mostly tells you that it involves an app. AI products often benefit most, since the mechanism is new and buyers are skeptical; our guide on how to explain an AI product on your homepage shows analogies used alongside concrete examples.
When does Uber for X backfire?
"Uber for X" and its cousins backfire when the reference caps how buyers value you, points them to the wrong expectations, or makes you sound like a copy. The same four words that make you easy to understand at seed stage can make you look small at Series B.
Pros
- Instant understanding for buyers who know the reference
- Short enough for ads, bios and intros
- Signals a modern, familiar product experience
- Useful when your category doesn't have a name yet
Cons
- Anchors your price to the reference, usually downward
- Implies you're a clone, not an original
- Breaks when buyers don't know or don't like the reference
- Dates quickly as references fall out of favor
- Hides what makes you different from the reference
The price anchor is the most expensive problem. If you're "Notion for lawyers", buyers expect a Notion-like price. If your product does more and costs more, you'll spend every sales call fighting the comparison you introduced. The same applies to scope: a product described as "X for Y" struggles to be seen as a platform later.
Which analogy formats work besides X for Y?
Several analogy formats work besides "X for Y", and each carries a different level of risk. Choose the one that gives the most understanding for the least borrowed baggage.
Format | Best for | Risk |
|---|---|---|
X for Y | Moving a known product model to a new market | Clone perception, price anchoring |
Like X, but Y | Showing a clear difference from a known option | Invites a direct comparison |
Physical-world analogy | Explaining an invisible mechanism | Can sound cute if overextended |
Replaces X | Selling against a manual process or old tool | Needs proof that it really replaces it |
Category name plus outcome | Established categories with clear buyers | Less memorable |
"Like X, but Y" is often the best step up from "X for Y", because it uses the reference and immediately says what's different. It also sets up honest comparison pages later; our guide to SaaS comparison pages covers how to write those so they rank and stay fair.
How do you test a product analogy before you use it?
Test a product analogy by showing it to real buyers and asking what they'd expect the product to do, cost and replace. If their answers match your product, the analogy works. If they guess the wrong price, scope or audience, it's misleading them, however clever it sounds internally.
Write three to five candidates
Include at least one "X for Y", one "Like X, but Y" and one that doesn't use a brand reference at all.
Ask buyers to fill in the blanks
"Based on this line, what does the product do? Who is it for? What would you expect to pay?"
Compare answers with reality
Score each candidate on whether buyers got the job, the audience and the price range right.
Check the reference's reputation
Ask how buyers feel about the reference itself. A disliked reference transfers its baggage.
Plan the exit
Decide which words will replace the analogy once your own category name is known.
For example, suppose three analogies for one product
Hypothetical example: a startup builds software that lets hospital teams book shared equipment. Candidates: "OpenTable for hospital equipment", "Like a shared calendar, but for ventilators and scanners", and "Replaces the equipment whiteboard".
In buyer interviews, the first suggests a consumer app and a low price. The second explains the mechanism but sounds trivial. The third lands with operations managers because it names the exact thing they'd stop using. The startup leads with the outcome, uses the third line as the subhead and keeps the second for the how-it-works section. These reactions are illustrative.
How does an analogy fit with category positioning?
An analogy is a temporary bridge to a category, not a substitute for positioning. Positioning decides which market you compete in and why you win there; the analogy is a messaging tool that helps a new reader get to that point faster. Our guide to positioning vs messaging explains why positioning comes first.
As the company grows, the analogy should give way to a category name your buyers use. That might be an existing category you can win, or a new one you name yourself. Our guide to category design and naming your category on the homepage covers that move. Many teams handle it in a homepage-only redesign, since the hero is where the analogy usually lives.
