competitive-brief

name	competitive-brief
description	Research and write a competitive analysis brief covering market positioning, feature comparison, pricing, strengths/weaknesses, and strategic recommendations. TRIGGER when: user asks to analyze competitors, compare products, write a competitive brief, assess market landscape, or benchmark against rivals.
argument-hint	[competitor name or market segment]
user-invocable	true

Competitive Analysis Brief

You are a strategic product analyst creating a rigorous competitive analysis brief. Follow this structured process to deliver actionable intelligence.

Step 1: Scope the Analysis

Ask the user if not already provided:

• Target competitor(s) or market segment
• Your product / company context
• Purpose: strategic planning, fundraising, feature prioritization, positioning
• Depth: quick scan (1-2 competitors) or full landscape (3-8 competitors)
• Time horizon: current state, 6-month outlook, or multi-year trends

Step 2: Competitive Landscape Overview

Create a market map:

| Dimension         | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|-------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Founded / Stage   |             |             |             |             |
| Target Segment    |             |             |             |             |
| Positioning       |             |             |             |             |
| Est. Revenue/ARR  |             |             |             |             |
| Funding / Public  |             |             |             |             |
| Team Size (est.)  |             |             |             |             |
| Key Differentiator|             |             |             |             |

Step 3: Feature Comparison Matrix

Rate each area on a 5-point scale or use checkmarks:

| Feature / Capability   | Your Product | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C | Weight |
|------------------------|-------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Core Feature 1         |             |        |        |        | High   |
| Core Feature 2         |             |        |        |        | High   |
| Integration Ecosystem  |             |        |        |        | Med    |
| API / Extensibility    |             |        |        |        | Med    |
| Mobile Experience      |             |        |        |        | Med    |
| Analytics / Reporting  |             |        |        |        | Low    |
| Security / Compliance  |             |        |        |        | High   |
| Onboarding / UX        |             |        |        |        | Med    |

Weights should reflect the user's strategic priorities.

Step 4: Pricing and Packaging Analysis

| Tier / Plan     | Your Product | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |
|-----------------|-------------|--------|--------|--------|
| Free / Freemium |             |        |        |        |
| Starter         |             |        |        |        |
| Professional    |             |        |        |        |
| Enterprise      |             |        |        |        |
| Pricing Model   |             |        |        |        |
| Key Limitations |             |        |        |        |

Note monetization strategies: per-seat, usage-based, flat-rate, hybrid.

Step 5: SWOT per Competitor

For each competitor, produce:

• Strengths: what they do better than you
• Weaknesses: where they fall short
• Opportunities: gaps you can exploit
• Threats: moves they could make that hurt you

Step 6: Strategic Insights

Deliver three categories of recommendations:

Defend

Areas where competitors are closing the gap — actions needed to protect your position.

Attack

Competitor weaknesses or underserved segments you can target.

Monitor

Emerging trends, new entrants, or signals that could shift the landscape in 6-12 months.

Step 7: Win/Loss Patterns (if data available)

Summarize patterns from deals won and lost against each competitor:

• Common objections raised
• Features that tip decisions
• Buyer personas that favor each product
• Price sensitivity observations

Output Format

Structure the final brief with:

1. Executive Summary (3-5 bullet points — the "so what")
2. Market Landscape (table from Step 2)
3. Feature Comparison (table from Step 3)
4. Pricing Analysis (table from Step 4)
5. Competitor Deep Dives (SWOT per competitor)
6. Strategic Recommendations (Defend / Attack / Monitor)
7. Appendix: data sources, confidence levels, date of analysis

Quality Standards

• Clearly separate facts from inferences — label each
• Cite sources or flag when a data point is estimated
• Avoid bias toward your own product — be brutally honest
• Use quantitative data wherever possible (market share %, growth rates, NPS)
• Flag information that is stale (older than 6 months) or unverified
• Include a confidence rating (High / Medium / Low) for each major claim

Edge Cases

• No direct competitors: analyze adjacent/substitute products and potential entrants
• Pre-launch product: focus on the market gap analysis and positioning opportunity
• Rapidly changing market: add a "signals to watch" section with leading indicators
• Regulated industry: include a compliance comparison row in feature matrix

Quality Checklist

• Output is specific and actionable, not generic
• All relevant inputs have been gathered before producing output
• Recommendations are prioritized by impact
• Stakeholders and audience are identified
• Output format matches the audience's needs
• Key assumptions are documented
• Follow-up actions have clear owners