Competitive Analyzing

Map competitive landscape and identify positioning opportunities.

Canvas Files

• Reads: 01.context.md (industry dynamics), 04.segments.md (target segment), 05.problem.md (problems being solved)
• Writes: 06.competitive.md

Prerequisites

Before competitive analysis:

• strategy/canvas/05.problem.md must exist (problems define competitive frame)
• strategy/canvas/04.segments.md should exist (segment defines competitive context)

If missing:

"Competitive analysis requires problem definition from 05.problem.md.

Competition is framed by what problems you solve for whom.

Run fnd.r-scoring-problems skill or fnd-researcher agent first."

Process

Step 1: Load Context

Read from canvas:

• Problems from 05.problem.md — What problems are we solving?
• Segment from 04.segments.md — Who are we solving for?
• Industry from 01.context.md (if exists) — Industry dynamics

Step 2: Identify Direct Competitors

Direct competitors solve the same problem for the same segment with a similar solution.

For each problem in 05.problem.md:

1. Search for existing solutions
2. Identify companies explicitly targeting this problem
3. Note their positioning, pricing, and target segment

Search queries:

• “[Problem] software”
• “[Problem] solution for [segment]”
• “[Segment] [problem] tools”
• “Alternative to [known competitor]”

Data sources:

• G2, Capterra, Product Hunt
• Crunchbase (funding, positioning)
• Company websites (messaging, pricing)
• LinkedIn (company size, hiring)

Step 3: Identify Indirect Competitors

Indirect competitors solve the same problem with a different approach OR serve adjacent needs.

Categories:

Step 4: Profile Each Competitor

For direct competitors, capture:

Step 5: Build Positioning Matrix

Create 2×2 positioning map:

Choose axes that matter to buyers:

Map competitors:

1. Place each competitor on the matrix
2. Identify clusters (crowded positions)
3. Find white space (unoccupied positions)

Step 6: Identify Positioning Gaps

Gaps are unoccupied or underserved positions:

Validate gaps:

• Is the gap intentional (unviable) or overlooked?
• Is there demand for this position?
• Can we credibly occupy this position?

Step 7: Assess Competitive Threats

For top 3-5 competitors:

Threat level:

• High: Well-funded, fast, overlapping roadmap
• Medium: Capable but distracted or slow
• Low: Resource-constrained, different focus

Step 8: Write Output

Write to strategy/canvas/06.competitive.md using output format below.

Output Format

# 06. Competitive Landscape

## Competitive Frame

**Problem being solved:** [From 05.problem — primary problem]
**Segment served:** [From 04.segments — primary segment]
**Category:** [Market category name]

## Direct Competitors

### [Competitor 1]

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Positioning | [Their headline/tagline] |
| Target | [Who they serve] |
| Pricing | [Model and price points] |
| Strengths | [What they do well] |
| Weaknesses | [Gaps, complaints] |
| Threat Level | High/Medium/Low |

**Source:** [G2, website, etc.]

---

### [Competitor 2]

[Same structure]

---

### [Competitor 3]

[Same structure]

---

## Indirect Competitors

| Alternative | Type | How Used | Limitation |
|-------------|------|----------|------------|
| [Spreadsheets] | Manual | [How] | [Why inadequate] |
| [Platform X] | Adjacent | [How] | [Why inadequate] |
| [Agency Y] | Service | [How] | [Why inadequate] |

## Positioning Matrix

**Axes:**
- X-axis: [Dimension 1] (low → high)
- Y-axis: [Dimension 2] (low → high)

**Map:**

          HIGH [Dimension 2]
                │
[Competitor A]  │  [Competitor B]
                │

LOW ────────────────┼──────────────── HIGH [Dimension 1] │ [Dimension 1] │ [Gap: ?] │ [Competitor C] │ LOW [Dimension 2]

## Positioning Gaps

| Gap | Position | Why Valuable | Our Fit |
|-----|----------|--------------|---------|
| [Gap 1] | [Description] | [Demand signal] | High/Med/Low |
| [Gap 2] | [Description] | [Demand signal] | High/Med/Low |

## Recommended Position

**Position:** [Specific position statement]
**Rationale:** [Why this gap + why we can own it]

## Competitive Response Prediction

| If We... | They Likely... | Our Counter |
|----------|----------------|-------------|
| Enter market | [Response] | [Strategy] |
| Win customers | [Response] | [Strategy] |
| [Specific move] | [Response] | [Strategy] |

## Competitive Intelligence Gaps

| Unknown | Why It Matters | How to Learn |
|---------|----------------|--------------|
| [Gap 1] | [Impact] | [Method] |
| [Gap 2] | [Impact] | [Method] |

Quality Criteria

Before finalizing, verify:

• At least 3 direct competitors profiled
• Indirect competitors documented
• Positioning matrix has clear axes
• At least 1 actionable gap identified
• Threat assessment for top competitors
• Recommended position stated

Competitor Profile Template

Quick capture format for research:

## [Competitor Name]

**Website:** [URL]
**Founded:** [Year]
**Funding:** $[X] ([Stage])
**Size:** [Employees]

**Positioning:** "[Their tagline]"
**Target:** [Segment]
**Pricing:** [Model] — $[X]-$[Y]

**Strengths:**
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]

**Weaknesses (from reviews):**
- [Weakness 1]
- [Weakness 2]

**Recent moves:**
- [News, launches, hires]

Boundaries

• Does NOT predict competitor strategy with certainty
• Does NOT guarantee positioning gap is viable
• Does NOT validate market demand for gap
• Competitor data is point-in-time — markets shift
• Review complaints are selection-biased
• Does NOT handle patent/IP competitive analysis
• Requires problem definition before meaningful analysis
• Positioning recommendation is hypothesis until validated