Usually no. Focus groups can be slow and performative; interviews + data + competitive audit often work faster.

Focus groups can help if you need broad alignment or you’re validating sensitive themes, but they’re not required for impact. For becoming choosable, speed and specificity matter: 1:1 employee interviews surface real patterns, funnel data shows where candidates drop, and competitive audits reveal how you can differentiate. Focus groups also risk “consensus language” that becomes generic. If you do them, use them to test specific claims and proof—not to wordsmith slogans. Most teams can get to usable positioning faster with targeted interviews, artifacts, and iterative testing in job posts/outreach.