competitive-intelligence

name	competitive-intelligence
description	Systematic competitor tracking, battlecard generation, market monitoring, and competitive response playbook for OASIS AI, PropFlow, and Nostalgic Requests
tags	["skill","competitive-intelligence","market-research","strategy"]
canon_references	["ritson-diagnosis","dunford-positioning","fishkin-sparktoro"]
canon_source	brain/MARKETING_CANON.md
triggers	["research a competitor","what are competitors running","generate a battlecard","competitive analysis","who else is in this space"]

Competitive Intelligence

Overview

Competitors move. Pricing changes. Features launch. New players enter. Without a monitoring system, CC finds out after losing a deal. This skill builds the intel engine that keeps OASIS AI, PropFlow, and Nostalgic Requests a step ahead.

Trigger: /competitive-report, "who are our competitors", "competitive analysis", "battlecard for [company]"

CLI tool: python scripts/competitive_intel.py

Data store: data/competitors.json

---

Competitor Tracking Framework

Categories to Monitor

Category	Why It Matters	How Often
Pricing	Direct deal impact — prospects compare before calling	Weekly
Feature launches	Differentiation erosion	Monthly
Positioning / messaging	How they're framing the category	Monthly
Hiring signals	Where they're investing (headcount by dept = growth bets)	Monthly
Funding / acquisitions	War chest size changes the competitive dynamic	Quarterly
Customer reviews (G2, Capterra)	Reveals real weaknesses we can exploit	Monthly
Content strategy	What topics they own, where we can out-rank	Weekly

Competitor Profile Template

## Competitor Profile: [Company Name]

**Last updated:** [Date]
**Monitored by:** Bravo

### Overview
- **URL:** [homepage]
- **Pricing page:** [URL]
- **Category:** [direct / indirect / aspirational]
- **Founded:** [year]
- **Funding:** [bootstrapped / raised $X]
- **Team size:** [est. headcount]

### Target Market
- **Primary buyer:** [title, industry, company size]
- **Geography:** [local / national / global]
- **Pain point they solve:** [1-2 sentences]

### Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|------|-------|---------|
| [Plan name] | $X/mo | [Key features] |
| [Plan name] | $X/mo | [Key features] |

**Pricing model:** [per seat / flat / usage-based / retainer]
**Free tier:** [yes/no — what's included]

### Core Features
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2]
- [Feature 3]

### Strengths
- [Specific strength with evidence]
- [Specific strength]

### Weaknesses
- [Specific gap with evidence — reviews, missing features, complaints]
- [Specific gap]

### Differentiation vs Us
| Factor | Them | Us | Winner |
|--------|------|----|--------|
| Price | | | |
| Speed to value | | | |
| Automation depth | | | |
| Local focus | | | |
| Support | | | |

### Recent Activity
- [Date]: [Product update / funding / pricing change / hire]
- [Date]: [Event]

### Review Themes (G2/Capterra)
- **Top praise:** [What customers love]
- **Top complaints:** [What customers hate — these are our openings]

Battlecard Template

Battlecards are CC's pre-call cheat sheets. One page per competitor. When a prospect mentions a competitor name, pull this.

## Battlecard: [Competitor Name] vs OASIS AI Solutions

**Last updated:** [Date]

### How They Position Themselves
[1-2 sentences — what is their core message? What do they say they are?]

### How We Position Against Them
[1-2 sentences — how do we frame ourselves when they come up in conversation?]

### Where We Win
- **[Win condition]:** [Why we beat them — specific, not generic]
- **[Win condition]:** [Evidence or proof point]
- **[Win condition]:** [Specific feature or outcome]

### Where We Lose
- **[Loss condition]:** [Be honest — where do they beat us?]
- **[Loss condition]:** [How to handle this objection]

### Handle the "Why not [Competitor]?" Objection
Prospect says: "I was also looking at [Competitor]."
CC says: "[Specific response — use NEPQ framing, not feature-dumping]"

### Proof Point
[A specific result, case study, or fact that beats them on their own turf]

### Disqualifiers (when we should lose gracefully)
- [Situation where the competitor genuinely is the better fit]

---

Monitoring Cadence

Weekly (Every Monday — 10 min)

1. Check competitor pricing pages for changes (Playwright automation)
2. Scan new blog posts / product updates on their sites
3. Check X/LinkedIn for competitor activity
4. Note any changes in data/competitors.json

Monthly (First Monday of month — 30 min)

1. Pull G2/Capterra/Trustpilot new reviews for top 3 competitors
2. Check LinkedIn job postings (signals growth areas)
3. Review any feature launches or product announcements
4. Update battlecards if positioning has shifted
5. Generate monthly competitive summary: python scripts/competitive_intel.py report

Quarterly (QBR week)

1. Full competitive landscape review — any new entrants?
2. Market sizing update (is the pie growing?)
3. Win/loss analysis: did we beat or lose to specific competitors?
4. Positioning review: is our differentiation still sharp?
5. Feed findings into quarterly SWOT

---

Data Collection Methods

Playwright Automation (Pricing Scrapes)

# Pattern for monitoring competitor pricing pages
browser_navigate url="https://competitor.com/pricing"
browser_snapshot  # Get page structure
browser_evaluate function="() => document.querySelector('.pricing-card').innerText"

Schedule via cron or n8n workflow. Alert when page content hash changes.

OpenCLI Discovery

opencli explore https://competitor.com  # Discover all public pages and API endpoints

Useful for finding:

• Hidden pricing tiers
• Feature documentation
• API limitations

Job Posting Signals

LinkedIn searches to run monthly:

site:linkedin.com/jobs "[Company Name]" "sales"     → hiring sales = scaling
site:linkedin.com/jobs "[Company Name]" "engineer"  → hiring engineers = building
site:linkedin.com/jobs "[Company Name]" "support"   → hiring support = user growth

Interpret signals:

• Heavy sales hiring → aggressive growth mode → pricing pressure coming
• Heavy engineering hiring → major feature launch in 6-12 months
• Support hiring → user base growing OR product has issues

Review Site Monitoring

Platforms to check monthly:

• G2: g2.com/products/[product-slug]/reviews
• Capterra: capterra.com/p/[product]/reviews
• Trustpilot: trustpilot.com/review/[domain]

What to extract:

• 1-star and 5-star reviews (extremes reveal true character)
• Recurring complaint themes → our selling angles
• Feature requests → roadmap intelligence

---

Analysis Frameworks

Feature Comparison Matrix

## Feature Matrix — [Our Product] vs Competitors — [Date]

| Feature | [Us] | [Comp A] | [Comp B] | [Comp C] |
|---------|------|---------|---------|---------|
| [Feature] | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| [Feature] | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| [Feature] | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [Feature] | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |

**Our unique features** (checkmarks only in our column): [list]
**Their unique features** (gaps for us to close or dismiss): [list]
**Table stakes** (everyone has it — don't lead with this): [list]

Pricing Positioning Map

Plot competitors on a 2×2:

High Price
     |
[B]  |  [Premium]
     |
     +-------------- High Value
     |
[Cheap] | [C]
     |
Low Price

Where does OASIS AI sit? Where should we sit? This informs pricing strategy.

Win/Loss Analysis

Track every competitive sales outcome:

## Win/Loss Log

| Date | Prospect | Competitor | Outcome | Reason | Learning |
|------|---------|-----------|---------|--------|---------|
| [Date] | [Name] | [Comp] | Won/Lost | [1 sentence] | [1 sentence] |

Calculate quarterly:

• Win rate vs [Competitor A]: X%
• Win rate vs [Competitor B]: X%
• Most common loss reason: [theme]
• Most common win reason: [theme]

Differentiation Gap Analysis

Every quarter, score your differentiation (1=parity, 5=clear leader):

## Differentiation Gaps — [Date]

| Axis | Our Score | Best Competitor Score | Gap | Priority |
|------|----------|----------------------|-----|---------|
| AI automation depth | X/5 | X/5 | +X/-X | High/Med/Low |
| Local market knowledge | X/5 | X/5 | +X/-X | |
| Onboarding speed | X/5 | X/5 | +X/-X | |
| Price | X/5 | X/5 | +X/-X | |
| Support responsiveness | X/5 | X/5 | +X/-X | |

**Defensive priorities** (where we're losing ground): [list]
**Attack priorities** (where we can widen the gap): [list]

---

Competitive Response Playbook

Competitor Launches New Feature

1. Evaluate: Does this erode a key differentiator?
   • Yes, meaningful differentiator → prioritize response. Add to roadmap within 90 days.
   • No, table stakes → note it, don't panic.
2. Check customer reviews: Are existing users excited or indifferent?
3. Update battlecard if it changes the competitive conversation.
4. Content opportunity: Write a comparison post or explainer before they build authority on the topic.

Competitor Drops Price

1. Immediate check: Who is this targeting? Our segment or a different one?
2. Analyze: Is this a race to the bottom (panic) or strategic expansion (different ICP)?
3. Do NOT immediately match. Hold for 2 weeks and measure if deals are actually affected.
4. If 2+ deals cite competitor pricing as the loss reason → convene pricing review.
5. Response options ranked by preference:
   • Differentiate (best): Double down on value we deliver that they don't. Reframe price.
   • Bundle (good): Add value to our offering rather than cutting price.
   • Segment (ok): Match price for a new entry-tier, protect premium pricing above it.
   • Match (last resort): Only if losing significant volume to this competitor specifically.

Competitor Raises Funding

1. Note the amount and stage (Seed vs Series A/B changes the threat level).
2. Ask: What will they build/buy with this? (Job postings in 30 days will answer this.)
3. Assess timeline: They'll be distracted with hiring and reporting for 3-6 months — move fast now.
4. Accelerate any roadmap items that compete directly with their likely investment areas.

Competitor Shuts Down

1. Identify their customers immediately (social media, Capterra reviews, their community).
2. Reach out within 48 hours — these are warm leads with an urgent pain.
3. Offer a migration incentive (first month free, data import help).
4. Create a comparison landing page: "[Competitor] Alternative" for SEO capture.

---

OASIS AI Competitor Categories

Category 1: AI Automation Agencies (Direct)

Local and regional agencies offering similar done-for-you AI/automation services.

Competitive reality: Most charge more (agency rates $150-$300/hr) but deliver less (no proprietary tech). Win angle: systematic delivery at lower cost via owned tooling (Bravo itself).

Watch list: Any agency within Ontario targeting HVAC, Wellness, Real Estate. Google "AI automation agency [city]" monthly.

Category 2: No-Code Automation Platforms (Indirect)

Make.com, Zapier, n8n Cloud — the DIY alternative to hiring CC.

Competitive reality: These are tools, not services. Prospects using these are actually good leads — they want automation but are struggling to maintain it themselves.

Win angle: "You're spending 5 hours/week on Zapier. We'll own that, plus build what you can't."

Pricing context: Make Business plan = $59/mo. We charge $500-$1,500/mo. Position as "they give you the ingredients, we cook the meal."

Category 3: Vertical SaaS for HVAC/Service (Indirect)

ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro — built specifically for trades businesses.

Competitive reality: These are software products, not AI automation. They handle scheduling and invoicing but not custom AI workflows. Often CC's integrations enhance these tools rather than competing.

Win angle: "You already have [Jobber]. We make it 10x more productive with AI on top."

Category 4: General AI Assistant Products

Lindy, Sintra, Relevance AI — AI agent platforms marketed to SMBs.

Competitive reality: These are horizontal — no vertical depth, no human expertise layer. Small businesses often feel abandoned after purchasing.

Win angle: "These platforms are DIY. We're done-for-you with human accountability."

---

CLI Reference

# Add a competitor
python scripts/competitive_intel.py add "Lindy AI" --url "https://lindy.ai" --category "indirect"

# View all competitors
python scripts/competitive_intel.py list

# Generate full competitive report
python scripts/competitive_intel.py report

# Generate battlecard
python scripts/competitive_intel.py battlecard "Make.com"

# Update competitor data
python scripts/competitive_intel.py update "Lindy AI" --notes "Raised Series A"

# JSON output for agent consumption
python scripts/competitive_intel.py report --json

---

---

Automated Competitor Monitoring Checklist

Run this checklist every Monday (weekly) and the first Monday of each month (monthly). Log findings in data/competitors.json.

Weekly Checklist (10 minutes)

For each tracked competitor:

• Pricing page — load the page, check for any price changes. Note if page structure changed (often signals a pricing redesign is coming).
• Homepage hero — has the headline or CTA changed? Messaging shifts signal repositioning.
• Blog / content — any new posts this week? Topic = what they're targeting for SEO authority.
• X / LinkedIn — scan their last 5 posts. Any product announcements, hiring posts, or "excited to announce" language?
• Job board — any new postings? Department tells you where they're investing.
• Log any change in data/competitors.json under recent_activity with today's date.

Monthly Checklist (30 minutes)

• G2 / Capterra / Trustpilot — pull new 1-star and 5-star reviews. Look for recurring themes.
  • 1-star themes = their weaknesses = our attack angles
  • 5-star themes = what customers actually love = table stakes we must match
• LinkedIn job postings — run these searches for each competitor:

  "[Company]" site:linkedin.com/jobs "sales"      → scaling go-to-market
  "[Company]" site:linkedin.com/jobs "engineer"   → product investment
  "[Company]" site:linkedin.com/jobs "customer"   → user base growing or troubled
  

• Product changelog or release notes — check if they publish one. Features launched = roadmap signals.
• Partnership announcements — new integrations or co-marketing = where they're expanding ICP.
• Pricing model — is it still the same model (per seat / flat / usage)? Model changes are rare but high-signal.
• Content audit — what are their top 5 most-shared posts this month? Topic = what's resonating with their audience.
• Update all battlecards that changed.

Market Signal Detection

Watch for these specific signals — each requires a response within 72 hours:

Signal	What It Means	Response
Competitor raises ≥$1M funding	3–6 month window before they accelerate	Move fast on roadmap items that compete
Competitor launches free tier	ICP expansion — they want more top-of-funnel	Evaluate if this pulls our prospects
Competitor cuts price ≥20%	Defensive move (shrinking) or land-grab (growing)	Hold 2 weeks. If 2+ deals cite it, convene pricing review
Competitor acquires a company	Their capability gap is now closed	Update battlecard, assess differentiation
New competitor enters the space	Market is validating the category	Add to watch list, monitor positioning
Competitor's key executive leaves	Instability, possible direction change	Watch for customer migration opportunities
Competitor's Trustpilot score drops 0.5+ points	Product or support issues emerging	Pull their complaints and position against them

---

Enhanced Battlecard Template

Battlecards are 1-page pre-call cheat sheets. One per competitor. Pull the relevant one before any discovery call where that competitor is mentioned.

## Battlecard: [Competitor] vs OASIS AI Solutions

**Last updated:** [Date] | **Tier:** Direct / Indirect / Aspirational

---

### How They Position Themselves
[1–2 sentences — their core message, from their homepage hero and tagline]

### How We Position Against Them
[1–2 sentences — our counter-positioning. What angle do we lead with?]
Rule: Never lead with features. Lead with outcomes and accountability.

---

### Where We Win (Our Attack Angles)

| Win Condition | Evidence | One-Line Pitch |
|-------------|---------|---------------|
| [e.g., Done-for-you vs DIY] | [They require 5hrs/week setup. We own it.] | "They give you tools. We give you results." |
| [e.g., Local expertise] | [They're horizontal. We know [industry].] | "We've built this for [industry] specifically." |
| [e.g., Human accountability] | [Their support is async. You get CC.] | "You have a direct line. Not a ticket queue." |

### Where We Lose (Be Honest)

| Loss Condition | How to Handle It |
|--------------|----------------|
| [e.g., Lower price point] | "If price is the primary driver, they may be the better fit for where you are right now. What we've found is clients who start with them often come to us 6 months later when they need results, not just tools." |
| [e.g., More integrations] | "Fair point. Which integrations are critical for your workflow? [If they list ones we have] — we have those. [If we don't] — that's worth factoring in." |

---

### Handle the "Why not [Competitor]?" Objection

Prospect says: "I was also looking at [Competitor]."

NEPQ response (don't defend — get curious):
> "Interesting. What's your read on them so far?"

(Let them talk. Then:)
> "What matters most to you in this decision — is it price, the depth of what gets built, or having someone accountable for results?"

(Map their answer to your strongest win condition above. Let them connect the dots.)

---

### Proof Point (Their Turf)
[A specific result, case study, or fact that beats them on the dimension they're known for]

### Disqualifiers — When to Lose Gracefully
- [Situation where the competitor genuinely is a better fit — e.g., "If they need a self-serve tool with no human support, we're not the right fit."]

---

Win/Loss Correlation with Competitive Positioning

Track this quarterly. Measures whether your competitive positioning is actually working.

## Competitive Win/Loss — Q[X] [YEAR]

### Win Rate by Competitor

| Competitor | Deals Competitive | Won | Lost | Win Rate |
|-----------|-----------------|-----|------|---------|
| [Comp A] | X | X | X | X% |
| [Comp B] | X | X | X | X% |
| [Comp C] | X | X | X | X% |
| No competition | X | X | — | X% |

### Most Common Win Reasons (competitive deals)
1. [Reason — e.g., "trust + accountability" — X occurrences]
2. [Reason]
3. [Reason]

### Most Common Loss Reasons (competitive deals)
1. [Reason — e.g., "price" — X occurrences]
2. [Reason]
3. [Reason]

### Positioning Effectiveness Score

For each battlecard, rate: Did the positioning hold up in real deals this quarter?
- [Competitor]: Held up / Needs update / Completely wrong

### Actions for Next Quarter
- [ ] Update [Competitor] battlecard — [specific thing to change]
- [ ] New positioning angle to test: [hypothesis]
- [ ] Competitor to add to watch list: [name]

Decision rule: If win rate against any competitor drops below 40% for two consecutive quarters, treat as a strategic issue — not just a messaging issue. Escalate to a positioning review.

---

Obsidian Links

• [[brain/STATE]] | [[skills/strategic-planning/SKILL]] | [[skills/financial-modeling/SKILL]]
• [[skills/sales-methodology/SKILL]] | [[memory/ACTIVE_TASKS]] | [[brain/CAPABILITIES]]