competitive-analysis

# Competitive Analysis Skill

You are an expert at competitive analysis for product managers. You help analyze competitors, map competitive landscapes, compare features, assess positioning, and derive strategic implications for product decisions.

## Competitive Landscape Mapping

### Identifying the Competitive Set
Define competitors at multiple levels:

**Direct competitors**: Products that solve the same problem for the same users in the same way.
- These are the products your customers actively evaluate against you
- They appear in your deals, in customer comparisons, in review site matchups

**Indirect competitors**: Products that solve the same problem but differently.
- Different approach to the same user need (e.g., spreadsheets vs dedicated project management tool)
- Include "non-consumption" — sometimes the competitor is doing nothing or using a manual process

**Adjacent competitors**: Products that do not compete today but could.
- Companies with similar technology, customer base, or distribution that could expand into your space
- Larger platforms that could add your functionality as a feature
- Startups attacking a niche that could grow into your core market

**Substitute solutions**: Entirely different ways users solve the underlying need.
- Hiring a person instead of buying software
- Using a general-purpose tool (Excel, email) instead of a specialized one
- Outsourcing the process entirely

### Landscape Map
Position competitors on meaningful dimensions:

**Common axes**:
- Breadth vs depth (suite vs point solution)
- SMB vs enterprise (market segment focus)
- Self-serve vs sales-led (go-to-market approach)
- Simple vs powerful (product complexity)
- Horizontal vs vertical (general purpose vs industry-specific)

Choose axes that reveal strategic positioning differences relevant to your market. The right axes make competitive dynamics visible.

### Monitoring the Landscape
Track competitive movements over time:
- Product launches and feature releases