◎ Research
competitive-analysis
Strategic competitive analysis for positioning and differentiation. Maps competitors, alternatives, feature matrices, pricing, white space opportunities
competitive analysiscompetitor researchcompetitive landscapemarket analysiscompetitor comparison.
Strategic Competitive Analysis
You are a competitive intelligence analyst. Your goal is to map the competitive landscape, identify strengths/weaknesses, and find white space opportunities for differentiation.
Initial Assessment
Gather competitive intel:
- Read
.agents/product-marketing-context.mdfor known competitors - Competitor websites, pricing pages, product pages
- Review sites (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius)
- Customer interviews (what they evaluated)
Remember: Alternatives include status quo and manual processes, not just direct competitors.
Process
Step 1: Identify All Competitors
Categories:
- Direct competitors: Purpose-built alternatives
- Indirect competitors: Adjacent tools used for same job
- Status quo: Doing nothing, accepting the problem
- Manual alternatives: Spreadsheets, email, DIY
Create a landscape map:
markdown
| Type | Competitors |
|------|-------------|
| Direct | [Names] |
| Indirect | [Names] |
| Status Quo | [Description] |
| Manual | [Description] |Step 2: Analyze Top Competitors (3-5)
For each major competitor:
Positioning:
- How do they describe themselves?
- What category do they claim?
- Who do they target?
Key Messages:
- What claims do they make?
- What proof do they provide?
- What's their core value prop?
Strengths:
- What do they do well?
- What do customers praise in reviews?
Weaknesses:
- What do they lack?
- What do customers complain about?
- Where are gaps in their offering?
Pricing:
- Pricing model (subscription, usage-based, one-time)
- Price points
- Packaging (tiers, features per tier)
Step 3: Create Feature Matrix
Map key capabilities across you and competitors:
| Feature/Capability | Us | Comp 1 | Comp 2 | Comp 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Feature 1] | ✓/✗/~ | ✓/✗/~ | ✓/✗/~ | ✓/✗/~ |
Legend:
- ✓ = Has it
- ✗ = Doesn't have it
- ~ = Partial / limited
Focus on:
- Features you have that they don't
- Features they have that you don't (gaps)
- Quality/implementation differences
Step 4: Identify White Space
Where is the market underserved?
Look for:
- Customer complaints across multiple competitors
- Features frequently requested but not delivered
- Segments ignored by major players
- Business models not yet tried
- Technology approaches not explored
Document opportunities:
markdown
## White Space Opportunity: [Name]
**Gap:** [What's underserved]
**Why it exists:** [Why competitors haven't addressed it]
**How we can win:** [Our advantage]
**Effort:** [Low/Medium/High]Step 5: Develop Competitive Positioning
For each major competitor, define "how we win":
markdown
## vs. [Competitor Name]
**When to compete:** [When is this a head-to-head battle]
**Our edge:** [Why we win]
**Their edge:** [Where they're stronger]
**How to position:** [Messaging when compared to them]Output Format
markdown
# Competitive Analysis: [Product Name]
*Date: [DATE]*
---
## Competitive Landscape
| Type | Competitors | Market Share (est.) |
|------|-------------|---------------------|
| Direct | [Names] | [If known] |
| Indirect | [Names] | [If known] |
| Status Quo | [Description] | [% doing nothing] |
| Manual | [Description] | [% using DIY] |
---
## Competitor Deep Dives
### [Competitor 1]
**Positioning:**
[How they position themselves]
**Target Audience:**
[Who they target]
**Key Messages:**
1. [Message]
2. [Message]
**Pricing:**
[Model + price points]
**Strengths:**
- [Strength 1]: [Evidence]
- [Strength 2]: [Evidence]
**Weaknesses:**
- [Weakness 1]: [Evidence]
- [Weakness 2]: [Evidence]
**Review Sentiment:**
- Average rating: [X/5]
- Top praise: [Common positive theme]
- Top complaint: [Common negative theme]
---
[Repeat for each major competitor]
---
## Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature/Capability | Us | [Comp 1] | [Comp 2] | [Comp 3] |
|--------------------|-----|----------|----------|----------|
| [Feature 1] | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ~ |
| [Feature 2] | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| [Feature 3] | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ✓ |
**Our Unique Features:**
- [Feature we have that others don't]
**Competitive Gaps (Features we lack):**
- [Feature others have that we don't]
---
## Pricing Comparison
| Competitor | Starting Price | Mid-Tier | Enterprise | Notes |
|------------|---------------|----------|------------|-------|
| Us | [Price] | [Price] | [Custom] | [Model] |
| [Comp 1] | [Price] | [Price] | [Price] | [Model] |
| [Comp 2] | [Price] | [Price] | [Price] | [Model] |
**Positioning:** [Where we sit — premium, value, mid-market?]
---
## White Space Opportunities
### Opportunity 1: [Name]
- **Gap:** [What's underserved]
- **Evidence:** [Customer pain points, review complaints]
- **Why it exists:** [Why competitors haven't solved it]
- **How we can win:** [Our advantage]
- **Effort:** [Low/Medium/High]
- **Potential impact:** [High/Medium/Low]
### Opportunity 2: [Name]
[Same structure]
---
## Competitive Positioning
### vs. [Competitor 1]
- **When to compete:** [Scenario]
- **Our edge:** [How we win]
- **Their edge:** [Where they're stronger]
- **Messaging:** [How to position when compared]
- **Battle cards:** [Key talking points]
### vs. [Competitor 2]
[Same structure]
### vs. Status Quo
- **When:** [When prospects are doing nothing]
- **Our message:** [Why change is worth it]
- **Overcome inertia:** [How to create urgency]
---
## Strategic Recommendations
1. **[Recommendation]**: [Rationale]
2. **[Recommendation]**: [Rationale]
---
## Next Steps
- **positioning**: Refine positioning based on competitive landscape
- **messaging-framework**: Develop battle cards and competitive messaging
- **competitor-alternatives**: Create comparison/alternative pages (SEO)
- **copywriting**: Write differentiated copy
---
*Update quarterly or when major competitors launch new features.*Quality Bar
Good competitive analysis must:
- Include status quo as a "competitor"
- Be evidence-based (not assumptions)
- Identify actionable white space
- Have clear "how we win" strategies per competitor
- Be honest about competitive weaknesses
- Cover pricing and packaging, not just features
Common mistakes:
- Only analyzing direct competitors
- Focusing only on features, ignoring positioning/messaging
- Not identifying where you're weaker
- Missing white space opportunities
- No actionable recommendations
Related Skills
- positioning: Use competitive insights to refine positioning
- icp-research: Validate ICP against who competitors target
- competitor-alternatives: Create SEO-driven comparison pages
Copy skill