Competitor Research

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for integration guidelines.

When to Use

User needs deep competitor analysis. Agent conducts thorough research on competitors in a niche, identifies gaps and opportunities, and delivers actionable strategies. Supports both new market entry and existing business competitive analysis.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/competitor-research/. See memory-template.md for structure. ~/competitor-research/ ├── memory.md # Status + research preferences + niche context ├── niches/ # Research by market/niche │ └── {niche}/ # One folder per niche │ ├── overview.md # Market landscape │ └── {company}.md # Individual competitor deep dives └── insights/ # Cross-cutting findings └── {date}-{topic}.md # Strategic insights and recommendations

Quick Reference

TopicFileSetup processsetup.mdMemory templatememory-template.mdResearch frameworksframeworks.md

1. Define Scope Before Research

Never start without clarity on: QuestionWhy It MattersWhat decision will this inform?Shapes depth and focusNew market entry or existing competition?Different analysis needsDirect competitors only, or substitutes too?Defines research boundariesTime constraint?Determines depth level If user is vague, ask. Bad scope = wasted research.

2. Use Depth Levels

LevelTimeOutputBest ForQuick Scan15-30 minTop 5 competitors, key differentiators, obvious gapsInitial explorationStandard1-2 hoursFull landscape, pricing matrix, positioning map, opportunitiesBusiness planningDeep DiveHalf day+Individual competitor audits, detailed SWOT, strategic playbookSerious competition Always confirm depth level before starting. Default to Standard if unsure.

3. Structure Every Competitor Analysis

• For each competitor, cover:
• BASICS
• What they do (one sentence)
• Target customer
• Pricing model and range
• Founding date, funding, size indicators
• PRODUCT
• Core features
• Key differentiators
• Weaknesses/gaps
• Recent changes
• POSITIONING
• How they describe themselves
• Who they compare against
• Messaging tone and style
• TRACTION SIGNALS
• Reviews/ratings (G2, Capterra, etc.)
• Social proof they highlight
• Customer logos/testimonials
• Growth indicators

4. Always Find Gaps and Opportunities

End every research session with: GAP ANALYSIS What do customers complain about that nobody solves? What segments are underserved? What's overpriced in the market? What's missing that should exist? OPPORTUNITIES Where can user win? (price, features, positioning, audience) What would be the wedge to enter? What's the unfair advantage potential? Research without actionable gaps is just a report. Make it strategic.

5. Iterate and Build Knowledge

Each research session builds on previous ones: First session: Establish landscape, identify key players Follow-up sessions: Deep dive individual competitors Return visits: Update with new findings, track changes Before researching a niche again, check niches/{niche}/ for prior work.

6. Cite and Date Everything

Mark all findings with: Source: Where you found it (website, G2, LinkedIn, etc.) Date: When observed (pricing changes, features evolve) Confidence: High (direct source) / Medium (inferred) / Low (speculation) Undated intelligence becomes unreliable fast.

7. Deliver Actionable Recommendations

• Every research deliverable ends with:
• STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
• 1. [Specific action] because [finding supports it]
• 2. [Another action] based on [gap identified]
• 3. [What to avoid] given [competitor strength]
• WHAT TO WATCH
• [Signal that would change this analysis]
• [Competitor move to monitor]

Market Landscape

Start broad, then narrow: List all players (direct, indirect, substitutes) Categorize by segment (enterprise, SMB, prosumer, etc.) Map by positioning (premium vs budget, generalist vs niche) Identify white space

Competitive Matrix

Compare on dimensions that matter: CompetitorPriceFeature XFeature YTargetDifferentiatorPlayer A$$$✅❌EnterpriseSecurityPlayer B$❌✅SMBSimplicity(User)$$✅✅Mid-marketBest of both

Win/Lose Analysis

For each competitor, answer: Why would a customer choose them over user? Why would a customer choose user over them? What type of customer is a slam-dunk for each?

Positioning Audit

Analyze how competitors position: Homepage headline and subhead Three main value props Social proof strategy Pricing presentation Comparison pages (if any) Look for positioning gaps nobody owns.

Iterative Research Workflow

Session 1: Landscape "I want to research competitors in [niche]" → Quick scan of market → Identify 5-10 key players → Create overview.md for the niche → Ask: want to deep dive any specific competitor? Session 2+: Deep Dives "Let's analyze [Company X]" → Load niche overview for context → Full competitor analysis → Save to niches/{niche}/{company}.md → Update overview with new findings Return Visit "What do we know about [niche/company]?" → Load existing research → Note what might be outdated → Offer to refresh specific sections

Common Traps

No scope = bad research → Always clarify what decision this informs before starting Feature obsession → Business model and positioning often matter more than features Outdated pricing → Check pricing pages directly, don't trust cached data Missing substitutes → Direct competitors aren't the only threat. What else solves the same job? Analysis paralysis → Set time limits. Good-enough research beats perfect research never delivered No recommendations → A list of competitors isn't strategy. What should user DO with this? Forgot to save → Update memory and niche files after every session

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local: All research stored in ~/competitor-research/ Niche analyses and competitor profiles User preferences and context This skill does NOT: Access private competitor systems Create fake accounts for research Scrape content violating ToS Send your research externally Store any credentials

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms: market-research — broader market analysis business — strategic frameworks competitor-monitoring — ongoing tracking after research

Feedback

If useful: clawhub star competitor-research Stay updated: clawhub sync